When Rain Falls
by AwkwardMoogle137
Summary: Kotone and her team are just genin from Amegakure hoping to pass the Chunin Exams. However, very rarely do things go so nicely. After three years of being apart, they have to learn to be a team again. With new emotions and personalities, the task proves harder than expected as the ninja world is threatened by old faces. Rated M for MUCH later content.
1. Chapter 1

When Rain Falls: Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

AN: I do intend to follow the plot line of Naruto, but I will have my deviations as well. I'm hoping to avoid situations that result in quoting chapters or episodes as that isn't very fun to read. You all, hopefully, know what happens during certain arcs and I won't have to quote them directly. Now, that doesn't mean there won't be moments that do inspire quotations, like the Chunin Exam has certain scenes that everyone is in, thus quoting announcements or such might happen.

I grew up with Naruto and I used to write fanfic all the time for it, but I had the issue of making Mary-Sue's . Each character in the series has moments of perfection and it's hard to maintain that standard while also keeping the OCs at their own levels. I do appreciate reviews that make polite note of such instances because I don't want perfect little folks. My characters are optimistic, for the most part, so hopefully I translate that well away from perfection.

I do appreciate reviews, of course, but not flames. I can't write to please everyone and I am well aware of that, but flaming something just because it's not to your liking isn't fair to author. If you have suggestions, tell me! I'll consider things that are suggested because there's always the chance that I'm missing a great opportunity to do something and with how massive the Naruto Universe is it can be easy to miss things.

Well, that long winded note is over, I hope you enjoy! I do like to keep the first chapter short so folks can get a feel for the characters, future chapters WILL be longer!

The sun beats down on the group of four with the steady pace. Their journey has been lengthy, but the younger three keep their heads up, eager to see what's awaiting them at their destination.

"Ne, Toko-sensei?"

"Yes, Kaori?" Toko asks with a tinge of frustration.

Kaori presses her forefingers together and pouts, "No need to get grumpy. I just wanted to know if we're almost there."

"Just as I told you ten minutes ago, yes, we're almost there." Toko sighs and shakes her head before looking back at her three genin. "Takumi, you've been quiet this whole trip. Don't you have any questions?"

Takumi perks his head up from his book. "Not really. It's not like you know our competition or the field. I don't think there's much to ask about."

"Takumi, you could relax a little," Kotone chips in. She stretches her arms above her head and rolls her head from side to side releasing little cracks.

"The Chunin Exams aren't easy, Kotone. Takumi has the right approach. At least he's thinking ahead to the competition. You'll all be in there without me to guide you, you know."

"But you've been preparing us for this, haven't you Toko-sensei?" Kotone smiles as she folds her arms behind her back, the long red sleeves falling back over her arms.

Toko nods, "I may have prepared you, but if I've prepared you enough is another matter. There are many teams from Amegakure attending this year. Keep in mind that you've got Kaori on your team, and she's only a recently graduated genin. With her being younger than you two she'll make you guys appear weak—"

"Why did we get selected to go so late, Sensei?" Kaori interrupts, ignoring her sensei's statement about her age. Their journey began only a few days prior after they were picked last minute to attend the Chunin Exams in Konoha. Due to time constraints, they've had to travel continuously in order to get there in time and have a day to rest.

Kotone grins and pats Kaori on the head. "We got called in last minute because of your potential! We weren't supposed to go because of how fresh you are from graduation, but because you've been doing so well on missions we got permission."

Kotone moves her hand before Kaori can swat it away. Takumi chuckles at the behavior, but shares Kotone's sentiment towards Kaori. They are three years older than Kaori, meaning they have a responsibility to watch over her. Her newness was something to keep an eye on.

"Oh, Toko-sensei!" Kotone speeds up in order to walk next to Toko. "Do you know anyone from Konoha?"

"Do I know anyone? I don't exactly make friends with ninja from other villages Kotone."

"You don't make friends in general, Toko-sensei," the mumble was faint but merited a swat on the back of the head.

"I have met some of their jonin in the past, but it was often a quick meeting without exchanging names. Why do you ask?"

Kotone shrugs, "I was just wondering. I don't want you to get bored while we're in there. Who knows, maybe you'll meet some nice village man who will help you settle down-"

Another swat to the head silences Kotone. She grumbles as she falls back to walk with her teammates while her sensei picks up the pace. Takumi grins from behind the pages of his book, brown strands of hair hanging in his face, while Kaori laughs without control.

"Kotone-chan! Do you think we'll get to meet people from other villages?" Kaori smiles, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Of course we'll meet other teams, but it might be in combat. We're not here to make friends, Kaori," Takumi corrects her.

Kotone nods in agreement, "It'd be nice if there was a chance to get to know the other teams, but we want to pass first and foremost. Don't forget that Kaori. This test might put us in situations that require us to kill." Kaori nods, a growing sadness builds in her eyes. Kotone appreciates her teammate's innocence, but this is the life of a ninja.

It isn't long until they reach the gates. They continue on searching for a hotel with a vacancy. Once in their room Kaori plops down onto a cushion. "So many visiting teams and not enough space! I thought we'd never find a place to stay."

"With the exam being only a day away, it's not surprising that most of the hotels are full, but it was a bit exhausting after such a long trip," Takumi chimed in, taking a seat next to the table in the center of the room.

"Says the endurance master," Kotone pats Takumi's head before opening the door to the balcony. She takes a deep breath of fresh air before allowing herself to relax. They need that day of rest in order to recover enough for what the exams have in store. Toko joins her outside and places a hand on her head.

"Kaori can handle herself, just as you said. You and Takumi only need to be worried if she gets hurts or exhausted. She's not had as much experience as you two, but you know how strong she is. Don't worry too much about her."

"Who said I was worried, Toko-sensei? When do I ever worry?"

"You can't fool me with that wide smile. I know you worry about Kaori every time we go on a mission, but you've trained with her firsthand. You know what she's capable of, and Takumi, too, for the most part. You both worry about her, but she is not the delicate flower she'd have everyone believe. People may target her, and you should help her, but don't put yourself in harm's way when she can defend herself. She has to learn for herself."

"Toko-sensei, you're worried aren't you."

Toko gives a curt nod and sighs before leaning her back against the railing and looking into the room. "Of course I'm worried, but I also know you three are more than capable. Some of the other Ame teams have no place being here, and they might pay dearly for that. You all have the synergy and ability to come out of this."

Kotone smiles softly. "Thank you, Sensei."

The two return to the room and order food before going to sleep.

Sunlight blares through the curtains of the room. Takumi and Kaori glare at Kotone's sleeping form. Her back is turned to the window, her long white tresses resting behind her save for a few strands that have fallen over her face, allowing her a few extra moments of rest while her teammates scowl.

"How does she sleep in so easily?" Kaori asks with drowsiness still on her lips.

Takumi's eyebrow twitches as he resists the urge to throw water at his blissful teammate. "No matter what the alarm is, she sleeps in. How are we going to handle this in the exams?!"

Kotone rolls over and the sun hits her face with a silent, but brutal slap. She immediately brings a hand to cover her eyes as she opens them. "Kaori? Takumi? What's going on?"

"It's time to get up," Takumi's tone is gruff before he walks away.

Kotone sighs and stretches, "It's bright here."

Kaori shuffles after Takumi with a slow pace, her mind not fully awake. Kotone lets out a yawn before grabbing her clothing and gear.


	2. Chapter 2

When Rain Falls: Chapter 2 – The First Test is the Easy Test

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Toko watched from the balcony of the hotel room as her young students headed to the first part of the Chunin Exams.

"As long as they keep their focus, they'll be fine," she mumbled to herself. She recalled hearing that this year had a number of rookie genin from the Leaf taking the exams which brought her small comfort about Kaori taking them. However, it also concerned her about the level of skill they'd be encountering. For Kotone and Takumi there'd be little issue, but Kaori was not as observant.

Toko continued to keep her eyes on them. Kaori's turquoise shirt and shorts with the black stripe down the center were easier to spot than Takumi's midnight blue Chinese-style top and grey pants. Kotone had the burgundy long and wide-sleeved jacked and the black dress to contrast it, but it was not her outfit that made her easy to see; her white hair that hung loose until just past her shoulders where it was braided until her lower back was her most obvious feature.

A sigh escaped the sensei's lips as she realized just how well her two female students stood out in this setting. "Please don't be idiots."

The sounds of the villagers as they carried out their day to day lives made for nice ambience as the Rain trio walked to the building that would decide their fate.

"Kotone-chan," Kaori's excited voice called out from the front.

"Hmmm?"

"How many people do you think are taking this exam?"

"Ahhh, Takumi might be a better individual to ask that question. I image a lot of genin want to move up in rank the only question is whether or not they meet the initial requirements."

Takumi nodded in agreement, "Once you meet the requirements, you can take the exam. Fortunately, you had been on our team long enough to exceed those requirements. There are likely to be older teams as well, but don't feel intimidated. Even if they have previous experience in the exams, they haven't passed any prior to this moment and should only be observed."

"You make everything seem less fun, Takumi-kun," Kaori pouted and folded her arms behind her back.

Kotone stifled a chuckle at Kaori's accurate accusation. Takumi came from a poor family and was eager to move up ranks in order to pull them out of poverty. His situation was understandable in relation to his personality, but even Kotone couldn't deny that there were times when he was a stick in the mud.

"I'm just answering your question as best I can."

"Fine, fine. Aren't we getting there a little early though?"

"Better to be early and be allowed to observe our competition than to be the last to arrive and be targeted," Kotone winked at Kaori.

"We're here," Takumi interrupted and nodded towards the building. Kaori took a deep breath before she released and smiled. She jogged up to the door before she spun and waved her teammates over.

Kotone smiled at Kaori's endless supply of happiness and gave Takumi a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "We've made it this far!"

Takumi smirked and followed his female teammates inside. He took the lead once they got through the door. He scoffed at the attempt at confusing the less experienced teams when they passed the door under genjutsu.

"Takumi-kun, aren't we supposed to go—" Takumi interrupted Kaori's question.

"That is a trap for genin who can't sense genjutsu well. If an entire time is fooled by that trick, then they shouldn't be taking the exam. It's a harmless and safe manner of elimination before the real test begins."

Kaori nodded, but concern was plastered on her face. She had fallen for the trick. Kotone patted her on the head in comfort, "Genjutsu was never your strong point. Don't feel bad. You have Takumi for things like that until you get trained up in the techniques."

Kaori smiled and nodded, her enthusiasm returning to her.

The next door was the last barrier between them and the exam. Takumi entered with no hesitation, allowing for his teammates to follow without reserve. Kotone took a breath when they entered the space before releasing it silently. There was no preparing them for the awaiting group of genin.

The teams in the room ranged from rookies to experienced shinobi. There wasn't an easily identifiable age range, but there were teams as young as Kaori and then there were teams much older than Takumi and Kotone. (**AN:** You might notice a shift in focus after this point. Kotone is the main character and will start being the main focus/perspective. When I returned to edit this chapter, I noticed that there was a shift)

Kotone scanned the room and recognized many teams from Amegakure. Their aquatic attire and parasols made them stand out amongst the other shinobi. It was clear to Kotone that they had drawn the attention of the Ame teams:

"Tsk, so Yamada's team ended up coming."

"With that rookie on their team, they shouldn't be too difficult."

"Don't you know? They have a Ueno."

"Dammit. They weren't supposed to attend this year."

Takumi ignored the whispers that erupted from the Ame teams and instead found his team a desk to sit at. They gathered together with Kaori in the middle as to not leave her exposed too much.

Kotone continued to glance about the room in order to evaluate the other teams. Takumi was waiting for a more appropriate scenario in which to see their individual talents, but Kotone knew she could gain a lot from just watching their reactions to the entering teams. With each team that entered, the already present teams would respond as to whether or not they felt they could easily overtake them or if they were intimidated. She would alternate which team to focus on based on how much they influenced the room. It wasn't until a team from Sunagakure entered that Kotone and Takumi felt concern.

Kotone's eyes widened slightly when the young red haired boy entered the room. She moved her gaze to Takumi who was simply staring at him. Kaori was confused over the shared glances of her teammates, but the older two knew something was different about the red haired boy. His presence was completely different than the rest of the room.

"Kotone, I suggest we don't tangle with them if it comes down to it," Takumi mumbled to her.

She nodded to him before focusing her attention on her teammates. Kotone had thought there wouldn't be any more teams entering, but just before the deadline another team walked in.

"Is Konoha just throwing their rookies at the exam?" Takumi scoffed as the boy in the orange outfit made a scene.

Kotone grinned at the boy's antics, being reminded of Kaori in some ways when she was first put on their team. "Come on, Takumi, he's just excited I bet."

Kaori seemed to grow in excitement when the cluster of rookies from Konoha gathered at the door. "Kotone-chan, they're all my age!"

From her seat with her head resting in her palm, Kotone grinned, "Why don't you go introduce yourself?"

"Kotone!" Takumi's harsh whisper was paired with a swat to Kotone's arm.

Kotone narrowed her eyes when a boy from Konoha with glasses approached the group in order to pacify them. "Takumi, what do you think about him?"

"Not my type, but thanks."

"You know what I mean. I can't read him at all."

Takumi's brow creased as he too noticed this grey-haired young man was impossible to read. "Something's off about him, too."

"That's what I thought, but I'm never certain until I get you to confirm it," Kotone smiled at her teammate. He coughed to ignore the subtle compliment from his teammate.

Kotone's eyes flashed back to the Konoha genin as a genin from Otogakure charge forward and tried to attack the older boy. The Ame trio watched as his glasses shattered despite the hit missing.

"That's a nasty trick," Kaori mumbled.

"I imagine there will be many of those in this test," Takumi responded with a whisper before the proctor of the first exam entered the room.

"Now then, we will start the first test of the Chunin Exam! Turn in your aplliications, takes one of these number cards in exchange and sit in the seat matching that number!" Ibiki explained, holding up a card as an example.

Kotone ended up in the middle of the room while Takumi and Kaori were sent to the far edges.

"There are several important rules to this first test. I will take no questions, so listen well accordingly. First off is the first rule: You are given ten points each from the start! The written test has ten problems in all! Each problem is one point. This test is a point deduction system: You are deducted one point for each problem you get wrong! The second rule: Pass or failure will be determined by the total points of the three-person teams," Ibiki began listing off the rules, but it was the second rule that had an impact.

Kotone's brow furrowed as many others let out small exclamations. She couldn't help but agree with the pink haired girl's exclamation asking why this was the setup. While Kotone was positive Takumi would be fine on his own, she knew Kaori's grades in school were decent, but by no means fantastic.

"Here is the most important rule! Those who are deemed by the sentinels as having committed an act of cheating or something similar to that will have two points deducted for each act. In other words, there may be those who will be dismissed during this test without waiting for the grades. Know that those who commit awkward cheating will bring ruin upon yourselves. If you aspire to become a Chunin at all, know that shinobi should act like exemplary shinobi."

"_So they want us to gather information,"_ Kotone realized with the phrasing of the rules. _"Why bother giving us five chances to cheat and even saying 'awkward cheating' would bring punishment as if proper cheating wouldn't? This is an information gathering test!" _

"And if one person on a team gets zero points, the entire team will fail."

Kotone felt her eye twitch again and she saw Kaori stiffen at the remark.

"The last problem will be given 45 minutes after the start of the test! The time for the test is one hour. Begin!"

With that, the test began. Kotone read through the questions and glanced about the room like many other genin to grasp the situation in its entirety.

She took a breath before closing her eyes. _"Kakudaikyou!"_ (AN: This was the closest translation I could get for Kotone's Kekke Genkai, it means Magnifying Glass. It will be explained in another chapter where Takumi or Toko explain to others what the jutsu does.)

The ring around Kotone's right pupil gained four straight tick marks, one at the top and three along the bottom. She picked up her pencil and started to write answers she knew, but when faced with a question she was uncertain of, she would glance up to the front of the room and catch the answers off participant in the front row. It looked like nothing more than a pause in her thoughts, as if she had been stumped and was simply thinking her way through the problem. Once she finished, Kotone turned over her sheet before trying to spot Kaori's progress.

Teams were being called upon to leave due to a teammate getting caught too many times. Kotone watched Kaori flinch with each team that was asked to leave. She knew Kaori felt sympathy for them, especially since it seemed like Kaori was struggling as well.

Takumi had finished without too much struggle, but he had been at an awkward spot for Kotone to look with her right eye. Kaori, on the other hand, wasn't as intelligent as Takumi nor did she have a bloodline limit to help her out.

Kotone caught Takumi glancing toward Kaori. Their thoughts were similar. These questions would be difficult for most people regardless of their practice s shinobi. There was nothing Kotone could do from her spot, and she doubted Takumi was in a safe position to help as well, but at the very least Kaori had put her pencil to the paper a few times. If anything, she might've figured out some answers.

"_Come on Kaori, you can figure out something,"_ Kotone pleaded mentally. It was then that Kotone noticed the blonde in the orange outfit who had made a big scene earlier was only a few seats to the left of her. _"Naruto, was it?"_

She took a glance at his test and immediately her left eye was twitching. _"He hasn't written anything and it's time for the final question. Just who is this kid?"_

"Here is the tenth question! But before that, I'm going to add some rules for the last question," Ibiki was interrupted by the boy in black from the village of Sand. However, Kotone could tell from his smirk that he was onto the boy, "Aren't you lucky? It looks like playing with dolls wasn't a waste after all. Sit down."

Kotone examined the boy thoroughly after the doll comment, quickly realizing the boy was likely a form of puppet user. Her mother would often call her own puppets dolls and even made Kotone special puppets to play with as a kid. With that information, Kotone had a small upper hand against that particular sand genin.

"Let me explain. These are the hopeless rules! First, you guys will have to choose whether or not you will take this tenth question!"

"_What?"_ Kotone's eyes dashed about the room as the confusion and concern that cause. A girl from Sand questioned the repercussions to avoiding the tenth question.

"If you choose not to take the exam, then your score will be zero. In other words, you fail! And of course, the same goes for the two others in the same group!"

"_Something's not right here. No one would pass on the tenth question then. He's playing at something_," Kotone's brow furrowed as she listened to the remarks around the room.

"Of course, everybody is going to choose to take the exam!"

"No way!"

"This is ridiculous! As if we have a choice!"

"_He's causing tension to run high. For what purpose?!"_

"And there is one more rule: If you choose to take it and are unable to answer it correctly, then you will have to relinquish your right of taking the Chunin Exam forever!"

Kotone felt the room change when that was revealed. The scoffing and remarks over not having a choice were gone immediately. Other than an immediate comment from one of the Leaf rookies about how the rule was stupid, it was silent.

"_He wants people to give up on hope and quit,"_ Kotone's realization didn't bring her any relief.

"Those who will not be taking the tenth question, raise your hands! Once I confirm your number, I'll ask you to leave."

Kotone kept calm, confident there was something else to Ibiki's tactic. Whatever the tenth question was, it wasn't as important as choosing whether or not to take it. She glanced at Kaori who was turning her head to look at the first to raise their hand and give in. Kaori flashed worried eyes at Kotone who just smiled back to ease her.

Takumi watched this from a distance and understood that Kotone had a plan or knew something that he had missed.

After the first, many groups quit instead of risk their futures. Kotone maintained her focus on Ibiki who had taken a moment to focus on her. She had caught him glancing her way during the test and knew that a shinobi of his level probably knew of her clan and recognized her physical attributes.

Kotone's attention was grabbed when Naruto raised his hand. Surely the overconfident rookie from just an hour ago wasn't quitting.

His hand came slamming down onto the desk and he stood up, "Don't underestimate me! I won't run! I'll take it! But even if I'm stuck being a genin forever, I will become a Hokage no matter what it takes! I'm not scared!"

Kotone couldn't hold back the smile from Naruto's energy, _"What a strange kid, but something about him makes me root for him. Even Kaori seems better after his speech!"_

Kaori was smiling and facing Naruto due to his outburst. She nodded in agreement. Takumi turned his head with a scoff, but Kotone was sure that he felt more confident as well.

"I will ask again. If you want to quit, now is your chance!"

"I'm not going to take back my words! That is my ninja way!" Naruto responded.

Kotone glanced around the room and grinned at the resounding response from the others. Naruto had affected them with his words and given them the confidence to continue.

"I don't think you'll be seeing anymore groups drop out," Kotone's smile was clear in her voice.

"I like your determination! Then, for those who are still here, the first exam… You have passed it!"

The pink haired girl stood up in confusion, "What does that mean?! All of a sudden you're telling us that we've passed?! What about the tenth question?!"

Ibiki grinned and let out a chuckle and explained how the question didn't exist. When prompted to explain the test, Ibiki went into detail about how he expected people to cheat for answers, the trick was in could you cheat discretely. When the two chunin identified themselves, Kotone let out a sigh of relief that she had copied one of them instead of a random genin taking guesses. Even if the actual answers didn't matter, it did merit some pride that she had copied the right one.

Her joy was quickly subdued when Ibiki uncovered his head while explaining the value of information.

"Torture marks?" Kotone mumbled.

He proceeded to explain the value of the tenth question and how there were mission that would be unavoidable and would push the safety of the shinobi, but they would be necessary and having confidence in the team would improve the chances.

"The first exam for the Chunin Exam has been completed. I wish you well!" Ibiki finished with a smile.

Naruto was quick to jump out of his seat in excitement only to be interrupted by the proctor of the second part, Anko.

"I'll drop more than half of them in the second half," Anko stated with a dark confidence.

Kotone didn't like the vibe Anko gave off. There was something cruel in her eyes and the way she felt about the amount of teams left. There were 26 teams still in the running, but to believe there'd only be 13 or less after the second part was to know something the genin didn't. (AN: There were like, 21 participants [so 7 teams?] from Ame alone at the Chunin Exams, I didn't want to add an extra team and mess with the numbers so my team just replaces one that is never shown to keep the scroll count and etc the same. The only issue will be the dueling after part 2).

"I'll give you the details tomorrow! We'll be changing locations, so get the information from you Jonin about the location and time! That's it, you're dismissed!" Anko finished off.

The teams slowly left the room. Once outside Kotone, Kaori, and Takumi found each other. Kotone, however, was also looking for a rather loud and obnoxious genin.

"Oh, Naruto!" Kotone called out. The blonde boy and his teammates turned to watch the white haired girl run up to them. Her own team was eying her in confusion when she gestured them over.

"Y-yes?" Naruto asked with a gulp.

"I wanted to thank you," Kotone said as she tugged Kaori next to her and pushed her head down into a bow, "It's due to your outburst that this one was able to keep her head up during the tenth question. Thank him properly, Kaori."

"Kotone!" Takumi scolded.

"Quiet, Takumi!" The white hair girl stuck out her tongue at her male teammate.

Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "It was nothing! I knew it was a test the whole time!"

"Still, thank you, Naruto-san!" Kaori bowed properly and smiled when she straightened, "I was worried because my teammates are older than I am that I wouldn't be able to keep up. But thanks to you, I think I do have a right to be here."

Naruto was surprised by Kaori's earnest consideration.

"You too, Takumi," Kotone smiled wide, her eyes were mischievous.

"What?!"

"You were shaken a well, weren't you?"

"As if I would be shaken by that."

"Uh-huh," Kotone sighed, "Looks like you'll have to impress Takumi in other ways, Naruto. However, I hope we don't cross paths in this exam again. I wouldn't want to determine our passing with your failure, or vice versa."

"Wait a minute," the pink haired girl interrupted, "shouldn't you at least introduce yourselves properly?"

"Ah, I guess that was rude! I am Kotone Ueno, of Amegakure. This is Kaori Yuzuki and Takumi Hamada, and you are?"

"I'm Sakura Haruno," the girl responded with a sudden shyness. She wasn't expecting such a simply reply.

"And you?" Takumi nodded his head at the dark haired boy.

"Sasuke Uchiha," he responded with little consideration to his company.

"Takumi, I think you made a friend," Kotone patted him on the head even if it required her to reach up a bit.

"Kotone, the one making this situation strange is you, you know?"

"No way, Takumi! You three don't agree with him do you?"

Naruto shook his head though Sakura and Sasuke seemed more in line with Takumi's view on the matter.

Kaori chuckled a bit which drew Sakura's attention to her, "That's right, you're our age! How are you on a team with these two?"

"Ahhh," Kaori glanced to Kotone and Takumi for help on the explanation.

"We needed a third teammate and Kaori's graduating class had two kids drop out right at the end so she had nowhere else to go," Takumi tactfully covered the story though it was obvious the topic was sensitive.

Kotone put on a smile and bowed to Naruto quickly, "We should be getting back to our sensei to let her know we passed, but I wish you three luck tomorrow!"

"You as well," Sakura responded even though she a little lost for words. Kotone was upfront about her appreciation for Naruto's antics during the exam whereas Sakura had doubted him the entire time. The rosette haired girl felt a little inferior to Kotone due to her ability to express herself honestly.

"That team is strange," Sasuke smirked. They were similar to Team 7, he had realized, in their personalities. However, even Sasuke could tell they meant what they said.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and bragged about how he had helped the rest of the walk home.

Kotone and the others made it back to their hotel where Toko was waiting with a smile on her face.

"Toko-sensei! We passed!" Kaori announced hastily.

"I figured as much otherwise you would've been back much sooner. Congratulations," her happy behavior made Kotone and Takumi cringe with skepticism as they were used to their stoic teacher, not this pleasant woman.

"Did something happen while we were there?" Takumi asked, his eyes squinted in suspicion.

Toko shook her head in denial. "Nothing happened, I'm just proud you made it. When I heard who the first proctor was, I was a little concerned."

"Ibiki run interrogation, doesn't he?" Kotone asked, her playful side gone.

Takumi and Kaori were both surprised by this question, and even more so when Toko confirmed it, "He is the leader of the interrogation unit here in Konoha. He is a master of mental torture."

"I only wondered because he was able to manipulate the feelings and tensions in the room. The already nervous teams were quick to withdraw at anything new he added. He had control over the room entirely, except for Naruto," Kotone chuckled at the end.

"Naruto?" Toko questioned.

Takumi sighed and sat down, "He's a loud-mouth rookie from here. It seems there are three rookie teams in the exams and all of them passed the first test. Naruto is on one of them. He did destroy the tension in the room at the end though, allowing for 26 teams to pass including us."

"A loud-mouth? That's almost a compliment from you Takumi," Toko teased.

"But he did give me the confidence to not give up," Kaori admitted, "He's more sure of himself than I have ever been, but he made me feel like I could pass this test."

"I see. A loud mouth with the ability to comfort people. I'm excited to see how these exams go now," Toko's eyes narrowed in wonder. Her joyous mood dissipated quickly and she gave the instructions for the following day to her students. Her stoic behavior was quick to return due to the nature of the second part. She had been happy for her students, but her joy was her awkward effort to hide her concern.

The second exam would test them in new ways and Toko wasn't sure they were ready.


	3. Chapter 3

When Rain Falls: Chapter 3 – The Second Test is Difficult

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Kotone panted and collapsed to one knee. Takumi eyed her from the tree he was leaning against. His grip on his chest tightened and he coughed violently.

"Kotone, we have to keep moving," Takumi rasped. His dark brown hair covered his eyes from his now crouched position. The air was heavy between them, but Kotone nodded and adjusted Kaori's unconscious body on her back.

"Let's get going then."

The two jumped through the trees, but Kotone could tell their pursuers were still actively on the hunt. She grip on Kaori's thighs tightened as she increased her jumping speed.

"Kotone!" Takumi called out from behind, "Don't do anything rash!"

Kotone turned back to her teammate and grinned before releasing Kaori from her back. Her teammate fell into a cluster of wires set up between branches. A swift move of Kotone's arm and the wires pulled her under the cover of some leaves while Takumi jumped down to join his dark haired teammated.

"Be careful, Kotone!"

Kotone's white hair glimmered in a spot of sunlight and she nodded before focusing her olive eyes to the area they ran from. Three opponents from Amegakure stood before her and laughed.

"Ohhhh? Is the Ueno brat going to take a stand?" One of their voices broke the otherwise silent area.

"With the injuries her teammates had they can't be far away."

"So what are we waiting for then?" The third member started a series of signs but Kotone darted to the right. Her speed was unrivaled on her team, with the exception of Kaori's justu to help her, so when she rapidly appeared to the right of the trio it was a surprise to the all-male Ame team.

"You really should know your opponents better than that. Your luck is really low if you ask me," Kotone sneered before she disappeared again. She quickly reappeared where she had started, right in front of them.

"Tsk. It's just you against all of us! Don't underestimate us!"

"Calm down, Ren!" One of the members went to stop his teammate, but he was too late. Ren took a step forward to start his approach, but was immediately stopped.

Kotone grinned and moved her right hand from beneath her sleeve. It was clear Ren was trying to move, but couldn't.

"Ren?! What are you doing?!"

"She must've activated it! Her eye jutsu! We didn't even notice!"

"I did that a long time ago. You see my eye isn't what you need to worry about right now. If only you could see what I can, you'd know you're in a minefield of wires," Kotone explained. She remained still, but she twiddled her right fingers and Ren was forced to turn towards his teammates.

"Ren?"

"It's not me!" Ren cried out as his teammates watched him in confusion.

"Thanks to Ren being a rather easy target standing far off to the right like he was, I was able to get to him first. I had already laid the area with wires while we were "escaping," but this chance was too good. You picked on my cute teammate so I have to return the favor!"

With a slow motion, Kotone lifted her right arm until it was perpendicular to her body. The wires around Ren became apparent as they shred through his clothing and dug into his skin. His scream of pain made his teammates cower, but they refused to move knowing that Kotone had set up wire traps everywhere.

"All of this… It was a trap!" Ren's teammate with light brown hair realized.

"Bingo!" Kotone exclaimed.

"Wait, what about your teammates!? Why are they hiding?"

Kotone sighed before she explain, "Sadly, Kaori was honestly injured so I knocked her out until we can properly look at it. She's the type to fight with a badly broken arm. Takumi is simply watching over her. He was quick to realize that I was enough to handle your team. Though, if I didn't have the upper hand of the setting right now, you would have much better odds!"

"What do you expect me to do? Just give you our scroll in exchange for Ren?!"

Kotone's face scrunched like she had smelled something unpleasant. "You don't value your teammate's life?" A flick of her wrist and the wires dug in further. Ren cried out again and started to beg his teammates for release.

"They're just wires right?! Cut them!" his teammate gripped a kunai and swung, but when it connected, the strand didn't cut.

"Don't you know? Kotone Ueno uses wires made by her father. They're thin like hair so that they can't be spotted easily, but tougher than others," the light haired teammate explained as he tried to figure out a way through the situation.

"You're half right, but I give you credit. You know more than I would've initially thought! So what are you going to do? Fight or flee?" Kotone offered.

The two looked at each other before nodding, "Fight!"

They jumped different directions in the hopes to catch Kotone off guard, but she simply lifted her left arm to match her right. The movement in her fingers was subtle through the fabric, but it was the only indication that she was doing anything.

The lighter haired teammate stopped his approach as a glint of light bounced off a wire that moved up in front of him. The way it moved made it clear that she had intended to catch him like Ren. He looked for his other teammate only to see he was caught already with only one free arm.

"I really don't like the idea of killing anyone for this purpose. We're not enemies at war, just students trying to rank up. Is that really worth life and death?" Kotone asked as she eyed the loud mouth teammate that was struggling a distance in the air.

"I have to agree," Takumi added from behind the light haired Ame genin. With a quick whack to his neck the guy was rendered unconscious.

"Takumi! What are you doing?" Kotone asked, manipulating the wires to bring Ren's loud teammate down closer to their eye level.

Takumi jumped between them and swiftly knocked them out, "They were beginners, but you were taking so long I thought maybe I misread them. Instead I see you playing with them."

"When you phrase it that way it seems sick. I was just giving them the opportunity to give us their scroll and run. They have plenty of other targets they could go for and catch up, but they were being persistent. One of them knew my method a bit though," Kotone nodded to the light haired one as Takumi dug through his bag.

"How much did he know?"

"Not much, just enough for him to realize that it wasn't smart to fight me here. With all these trees I can set up as many wires as I need without being too obvious. He wasn't aware of how they move though, nor how I lay them out."

"Good. It's hard to fight you even with that knowledge, but it's in our best interest to keep your fighting style as much of a secret as possible," Takumi let out a small 'ah-ha' when he found their scroll. The Earth scroll was the pair to their Heaven scroll.

Kotone and Takumi jumped down to where Kaori was sitting up on her wire-hammock. She was wincing with a tender touch to her right arm.

"Did I really mess up the plan that much?" Kaori asked sheepishly, her dark blue eyes peeking out from under her black hair.

Kotone and Takumi shared a look while the former knelt down to examine her young teammate's arm. As Takumi explained their options, Kotone thought back to how this all started.

They had been in the forest for only a few minutes before Takumi had them stop to strategize.

"There were teams at entrances approximately this far from ours. Those are our best bets for a scroll, but we can only pick one. If we mess up we'll have to risk getting caught in fights closer to the tower. Teams caught this far out are likelier to be weaker."

"What makes you say that, Takumi-kun?" Kaori asked curiously as she practiced her punches and stances.

Kotone was seated on the ground in a meditative pose. She cracked an eye open to look at Takumi. He sighed an explained, "The teams that will wait close to the tower in a day or so will be desperate and likely cocky. They might even be teams that have their scrolls, but opt to whittle down the amount of opposing teams and continue to fight until the last second. I'm assuming their stronger because even a know it all beginner team wouldn't risk losing everything if they managed to get their second scroll. They would head straight to the tower and enter it."

Kaori nodded before she clapped in realization, "So teams right at the start are likely to be easier because the beginners will be looking for the first team they see! They might not have the skills to see their opponent's level of skill and judge it against their own!"

Takumi nodded, "That, and teams that stick around the edge might also be waiting for the stronger teams to get their scrolls, or for the environment to pick off the weakest ones, that way they can play scavengers without risk."

"Takumi, you do realize what teams are probably going to be that naïve right?" Kotone asked.

Kaori glanced between the two in confusion. Takumi sighed and nodded, "Amegakure teams. I can think of maybe one that would wait close to the tower because they like genjutsu, but otherwise most of them are going to base strength on appearance and dive right in."

"Really?" Kaori asked.

"Yep, we're notorious for not thinking before we act, right Takumi?" Kotone asked as she stood up and dusted herself off.

"Sadly, our village isn't like Konoha or Sand. It's small and has no Kage to lead it, because of that most teams are more concerned with results than quality performance. Amegakure tries so hard to develop new jutsu and stand strong in comparison to the other villages, but it makes a lot of mistakes that way," Takumi tightened his ponytail before tucking some of his bangs behind his right ear.

"Takumi-kun, you look like a girl when you do that," Kaori giggled.

Takumi blushed immediately and turned to scold her only to see Kotone trying not to laugh, "Not you too!"

"It's the way you did it, Takumi! It was kind of effeminate," Kotone held a hand over her mouth to suppress the noise.

Takumi fumed and began to plan silently. It wasn't long before they headed off after deciding which direction to go. Since it was randomized, they figured it was just a matter of picking a direction. They realized really quickly that they had gotten incredibly lucky as they spotted a team of Ame genin from their hiding spot. It didn't take long for Takumi to pick up on their chakra and Kotone was able to spot them with her kekke genkai. It was Kaori that would help them enact their plan though.

Kotone assumed her meditation pose again and subdued her chakra presence while releasing wires into the nearby tree line. That way she could estimate their closeness based on which wires were tripped.

Takumi and Kaori pretended to spar though Kaori would occasionally release a chakra filled punch in order to send out waves of her chakra to lure them.

The plan went well until the other team used clones to surround them. Takumi hadn't expected them to full on attack them, and for that the timing of the plan was off. Kaori went to release another chakra punch at Takumi, but a clone attacked at the same time. In order to not hit her teammate with a full punch, who had jumped closer to her in reaction to the clone, Kaori had to disrupt the flow of chakra in her arm which fractured the bones in her forearm at least. It still looked as though she has hit Takumi in the chest which got Takumi's brain to formulate a back-up plan.

In the chaos, Kotone quickly reacted and upon seeing the pain cross Kaori's eyes, she knocked her out before dragging Takumi out of the fight. She brought all the wires she had released up to create a small wall to slow them down. However, with how fast they created distance between themselves and the other team, Kotone had to release her chakra from the wires. The distance was too great and would wear her down too fast.

It was then that Takumi suggested they pretend to be injured in order to give the other team a false sense of security. Kotone was okay with the plan and began to release wires as they ran, allowing for the other team to get caught in her snare.

"Looks like you broke your arm pretty bad," Kotone finally concluded her examination of Kaori.

The young girl winced as Kotone tried to turn her wrist, "I'll be fine. I just should rest it for a little while."

"Hmmmm," Kotone poked right into the middle of her forearm and Kaori let out of cry of pain and slapped Kotone across the face with her good hand.

Takumi chuckled, "You had that coming."

"I really did."

Takumi determined that Kaori was the deadliest at close range even with her injury so she should be the one to hold the scrolls. "We really should just head for the tower I think."

"I agree, but I'm a little worn out after laying out so many wires. I haven't had to use that many at once in a while either and it should be night time here soon. It would be safest to just go a bit further and make camp."

Kaori nodded, "Even though I didn't do much, I would like the chance to rest my arm properly. I'm likely going to need it soon."

Takumi nodded and they progressed to a safe spot far from the other Ame team. Kotone again set out wires to warn them of an ambush before she relaxed against a tree trunk. Takumi, being the least tired, opted to watch first and would wake one of them up when it was time to trade.

Kaori nestled up to another tree trunk and was quick to doze off.

"Kotone," Takumi whispered, "I know you're not sleeping."

"Ohhhh? I could've been. Maybe I'm just a light sleeper."

"Meditation isn't a good substitute."

"I like to think it's a decent one."

Takumi's voice revealed his growing frustration, "Just get some sleep; for Kaori's sake."

"If I go to sleep I might not feel my wires pull at my fingers, then where would we be?"

"I will keep an eye on any weird movements in your hands. Get some rest and drink some water," Takumi threw the water jug at her, unsurprised when she caught it.

Kotone took a sip of water and glanced at Takumi who was clearly irritated with her over her refusal to sleep. She let out a light chuckle before opting to actually get some rest. She knew that Takumi would keep a good eye on their surroundings.

When morning broke, Takumi was surprised to find Kaori still asleep despite it being her watch. He spotted Kotone only a short distance away in her meditation pose. She cracked an eye open as he walked towards her.

"Good morning," Takumi greeted with a tense tone. Kotone hadn't switched with Kaori like she was supposed to, but he couldn't blame her for that.

"Good morning. It was a very quiet night if you don't count all the screaming from other teams," Kotone stood up and stretched her arms above her head. Her sleeves fell and Takumi watched the metal contraptions on her arms glint in the light that barely broke through the trees.

"Shouldn't you be more careful about those? You never know who is watching."

Kotone pulled her arms down and inspected her accessories, "Honestly, once they realize I use wires I don't think it's too hard to figure out. Obviously I'm controlling them and I have to have them stored somewhere. This just allows for the fast release I need to set up my mid-combat traps and whatnot. It's not that big of a secret."

"I meant that your father hand designed those to suit your fighting style. You wouldn't want anyone to take them and figure out his crafting techniques," Takumi stretched as well before looking back to Kaori.

"She was in pain for the night. She needs healing, but I doubt we'll have that luxury. Even if we get to the tower early there's no telling what awaits there."

Takumi nodded in understanding. Kaori was to avoid fighting if possible, but this was part of the test. He went to wake up their young teammate while Kotone did a last check over the area.

"What's this chakra?" Kotone mumbled as her teammates met up with her.

"Someone is using lots of chakra at once. Takumi-san could it be a jutsu?" Kaori asked curiously as she adjusted the sling her right arm rested in.

He nodded, his brown bangs swayed against his face lightly. He looked toward the source of the chakra, "It would be wiser to avoid it, but I am curious about these opponents. Perhaps we should scout them out?"

"I agree. I think it would be best to take this opportunity. We have to be rather close, though they were outside the range of my wires."

Kaori nodded happily, "They're that way." With her good arm, she pointed in the same direction Takumi had been looking. "It's not that far, but there's something strange in that direction. It's another chakra, but something's not right about it."

"Not right about it?" Kotone asked.

"I'm not sure what it is, but it's not being used like the other one. It's not intentional; it's leaking."

Kotone and Takumi shared a nervous glance before they lead the way toward the mysterious chakras. As they got closer the felt the strange chakra that Kaori had already sensed, prompting Kotone to note how accurate the description "leaking" was.

Opting to hide in the trees, the team concealed their chakras and observed.

"Isn't that-?"

"The loud genin from Konoha? Yes," Takumi finished Kaori's question with a deadpan tone.

Kotone narrowed her eyes. "Looks like they've taken quite the beating. Kaori, can you pinpoint that odd chakra?"

"Me?"

"You're so observant, I thought you'd notice. Was I wrong?"

Takumi chuckled at Kaori's growing blush in response to Kotone's compliment. He had to admit, Kaori was very good at sensing chakra despite her inability to control her own. It was a natural talent for her.

"It's coming from…Uchiha-san?" Kaori tilted her head in confusion.

"I thought so. Takumi, you're the brains here. What does this mean? Why didn't we notice this before when we met him?"

Takumi sighed and shrugged, "If I had to guess, I'd say something happened between when we last saw them and now. This chakra is literally pouring out of him suggesting it's an adjustment for his body. It's something else entirely."

"You can introduce such changes to chakra?" Kotone's tone was disapproving. Whatever was happening to Sasuke was clearly painful and had put Sakura in a precarious situation as well.

"Kotone-chan, shouldn't we help her?"

Kotone winced as Sakura endured a series of punches to her head and face. She had basic attacks and jutsu down, but against her opponent it wasn't enough. Her tenacity, however, was something to commend.

"She's trying to prove herself."

"To who? Both her idiot teammates are unconscious," Takumi scoffed.

"Takumi-san!"

"To herself, I think. Look at her, Takumi. Is that the skill of someone who should be here? I'm sure Sakura has her merits in other things, but in terms of talent she's lacking."

Takumi nodded and watched as another set of Konoha genin interfered. "Even compared to those three, she doesn't have anything that makes her noteworthy. Kaori has her jutsu even if she's can't yet control it."

"Whatever happened to her team, she ended up being responsible for their safety. She was willing to rise to the occasion and endured that much abuse because of it. I want to step in and end this fight, but I feel like that'd be an insult to her."

"I don't understand, Kotone-chan. I know how Sakura-chan feels, trying to chase after her teammates –

"Kaori," Takumi started to interrupt before Kotone signaled him to stop.

"—but why can't we help her?"

"If you were in her shoes, Kaori, would you want a team from another village to step in to help you? You're welcoming personality aside, if you were tasked with out protection and you ended up in these uneven odds. Would you want someone else to step in, someone that knows nothing of you, to get involved?"

"I guess it would depend…?"

"Exactly. I'm not saying my thoughts are completely accurate, but I imagine Sakura would feel worse if we stepped in. She's already chasing her teammates. Does she really need to see the talent of other teams? It's fortunate that that other Konoha team stepped in. It'd be better if they were all friends who could understand her better than we can," Kotone's tone dropped towards the end. Takumi noticed it with ease, plainly understanding what she meant while Kaori could only gaze at her older teammate.

Kotone rubbed Kaori's head next to her side bun. "We still have a lot to learn about you if you can relate to Sakura so well."

Kaori nodded before she jerked her head to the side. A chill ran through Kotone and Takumi. They both responded like Kaori, turning to see the sudden change in chakra.

"What the…?" Takumi narrowed his eyes at Sasuke who was now standing.

Kaori shivered at the presence of his chakra. Something was very dark and offputting about it, though she seemed more affected than those around her. Even the other Konoha genin didn't seem to notice the negative feeling Sasuke was giving off despite the malicious grin that spread across his face.

"This is unexpected," Kotone mumbled, "and complicated."

"How are you so calm?!" Takumi growled out. He didn't like this rapid change in Sasuke. It turned Sasuke into a threat that might have the ability to beat everyone in his path. Such a disadvantage irritated Takumi to no end.

Kotone sighed, "I am not calm. But you said this is a change to his chakra, right? What are the odds he'll go back to normal after expending it all?"

"I can't say for sure, but this might be temporary I suppose. That's still not comforting. If it's random, then that's almost worse." Kotone sighed at this turn of events. It would be best if they could avoid conflict with Sasuke and his teammates in general, but now if felt necessary to avoid it.

"Kotone-chan," Kaori tugged on the long maroon sleeves her older teammate wore, "should we check on them?"

The team from Otogakure had retreated and forfeited their scroll to Sasuke. With the conflict resolved, Kotone, Takumi, and Kaori jumped to the forest floor to check in on their new friends.

"Oh, it's the Ame team," Sakura greeted with a weak smile. The bruises on her face must have made smiling painful, but despite that she was trying.

"Sakura, I think you should take this," Kotone rummaged through her sleeves before pulling out a small jar of ointment. "It will help you heal faster."

Sakura's eye widened, "But won't you be needing it?"

Kaori grinned wide and shook her head. "Thanks to Kotone-chan, we can head to the tower!"

Sasuke and Sakura turned their attention to the snow haired girl who was smiling casually.

"Because of Kotone-san?" Sakura finally asked, breaking the surprised silence.

Kaori nodded, "Takumi came up with a plan, but because of my mistake she ended up fighting alone. Still, she managed to get the scroll from the other team!"

"Ah, we should mention that it was another team from Amegakure that Takumi and I knew. Their attack patterns were familiar is all. Don't let Kaori's praise deceive you," Kotone interjected with a shrug.

Sakura settled a little, but Kotone could see the clouding of disappointment in her eyes. She patted Kaori's head and let out a light laugh. "This one managed to break her arm in the process. She's still got a ways to go, but I think she'll improve with practice! How about you Sakura? Don't you agree?"

Sakura's eyes widened at Kotone's implication. Her and Kaori were the same, both getting injured and lagging behind. However, with practice and support they could improve. She nodded and smiled again while Kotone turned her head up toward the trees.

"Kotone?" Takumi asked. He knew the Hyuga boy was in the trees watching as the kunoichi of their team fetched the spandex boy. The trademark pearl toned eyes was obvious to him, however the other teammates' names didn't stick to Takumi's memory.

"I wonder if Hyuga-san would look at Koari's arm. What do you think, Takumi?"

"No," he replied with a turn to leave.

"Oi! Takumi!"

Naruto awoke at that moment with a shout. He reacted to Sakura's beating which drew him to Kotone and her team as well.

"Kotone-chan!" Naruto greeted in surprise. "What are you doing here? Did you do this to Sakura-chan?!"

Kotone held back a laugh while Takumi released an exasperated sigh. Kaori giggled openly at Naruto's accusation causing him great confusion.

"No, Naruto. It wasn't me. We came here when we noticed strong chakras this way, but the opponents were fleeing. I also wouldn't cause such abuse to new friends."

Kotone's polite manners made Naruto blush and he nodded, "Hmm, hmm. I guess that's true. You seem too nice to attack anyone."

It was Takumi's turn to hold back his laughter, though his body trembled with humor. Kaori nodded in agreement, "Kotone-chan does seem that way, but be careful Naruto-san! She's tougher than she looks!"

Kotone chuckled and rubbed the back of her head before glancing towards the Hyuga boy again. She wanted to ask him to look at Kaori's arm, but she felt he would refuse her. The boy had to know she had spotted him, yet he made no move to signal interest in their group or anyone else. He even sent the young woman on their team to fetch their spandex-wearing one.

"Kotone-chan!" Kaori called out as she stood from her position. "What are you looking at?"

"Hmm? Oh, just wondering if there will be any more trouble spots in these woods. We should get to the tower as soon as possible now that we've spent some time on this excursion. How does your arm feel?"

Kaori wiggled her fingers and rolled her shoulder, "I don't feel anything at all thanks to Takumi-san's medicine!"

"Be careful with those crazy concoctions of his. You know they're not completely tested, right?" Kotone grinned at the slight panic that rose up in the young girl's navy eyes.

Takumi chuckled before motioning for his team that it was time to leave. The girls said their farewells with Kotone even taking a moment to wave to the Hyuga boy, before they leaped into the tree line.

The worry Kotone had felt over the exams was beginning to wane.

AN: So, I want to apologize now if I had previously described Kaori and Takumi's hair/eye colors only to change them here. I went through my notes and previous chapters, but I couldn't find it so I went to the original designs I drew up and am going with those. Kaori: Black hair/dark blue eyes. Takumi: Dark Brown hair/hazel eyes. I also want to apologize for how long this took to publish, I recently got a new job and moved so I was trying to get settled and ended up putting a lot of side projects, well, to the side. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! – Awkward Moogle


	4. Chapter 4

When Rain Falls: Chapter 4 – Don't Let the Bad Days Get You Down

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

A loud sigh carried throughout the room. Takumi's eyebrow twitched as he attempted to focus on his book, but his snow haired teammate was making it almost impossible to do so.

"We've been her one day, Kotone, stop acting like a child!" he finally snapped, throwing his book at her.

Kotone grabbed the book and let out a huff. "Says the one throwing things. It's just I want to know what's next. Kaori is getting her arm looked at finally, but now I'm bored." She cradled her face in hear hands while sprawled across a couch.

Takumi blinked at her with a blank expression. He dragged his hands up to his ponytail and pulled it loose before ruffling his hair.

"What are you doing?" Kotone mumbled with minimal curiosity.

"You know it hurts if I don't let my hair down. I already went two days with it up."

Kotone restrained a giggle, but her bright expression made her teammate groan in annoyance. "It's not feminine!"

"You're right, the action is not. Simply the way you talk about it is a touch feminine."

Takumi shot his hair tie at Kotone, nailing her in the forehead, "Say what you will."

Kotone rubbed her forehead, but her smile was still there, "Thank you, Takumi."

"Ah. It's coming up, isn't it?"

Kotone's chartreuse eyes drooped slightly as her smile dimmed. She sat up on the bed and gave Takumi a curt nod.

It was Takumi's turn to sigh. "So that's part of it. You're not _just_ bored. Sorry."

With a deep breath, Kotone smiled again and shook her head. "We've been a little busier this year! Plus with Kaori on the team, there's rarely time to think ab—"

"Kotone," Takumi interrupted, a weak smile on his face, "you don't have to do that with me."

A small nod was the only reply he got. They remained in silence for a few minutes before they sensed Kaori approaching. Kotone and Takumi both cheered up before their young teammate reached them.

Her arm was properly wrapped and hung from a clean sling, her smile ever present on her face.

"I'm back!" Kaori proudly announced.

"Welcome back," Kotone replied, a gentle look on her face still lingered from the direction of her conversation with Takumi.

"More teams are arriving. Should we go walk around and see if Naruto-san's team shows up?" Kaori suggested.

Takumi nodded and dug is elbow into Kotone's ribs. "Shall we evaluate the competition?"

"Takumi! You ass!" Kotone mumbled as she chased her teammates out of their room. The three came to an immediate stop when they nearly bumped into the team from Sunagakure.

Takumi wacked his arm across Kotone's collar bone to stop her, his hand drifting dangerously close to her softer features.

"Thank you for that sudden and lung depriving stop, Takumi," Kotone wheezed with a glare to her brunette teammate.

"Well, it looks like a team from Ame made it this far, huh?" The boy in black scoffed. The girl on the team grew a smug grin across her lips at the remark.

"It certainly is a surprise! Weren't you just saying how unlikely it was for us to have made it this far Takumi?" Kotone maintained a polite expression during the exchange.

Takumi nodded, following her lead, "Really, when it comes to potential Ame has been lacking. We're more focused on quantity over quality, so it's not the biggest surprise."

"Then again, you're the only team from Suna we've seen this far. Perhaps we are both the standout teams of our villages," Kotone's gaze flickered to the red haired boy who was devoid of emotion though leaning towards something undesirable.

The blonde chuckled and nodded. "Perhaps we are. I guess we'll just have to see what happens."

The trio moved to leave while Kotone lightly bowed her head. "I look forward to it."

"Kotone-chan, there's something I don't like about them. They're proud of beating out other people to get here."

"You're absolutely right, Kaori. That's why I can't wait to teach them some manners. My preference is for the blonde, but I'm sure the kid with the paint would put up an interesting fight!"

Takumi smirked and covered a laugh by coughing.

"What? What Takumi?"

"I'm sure you prefer the blonde."

"You're hilarious. Though I wouldn't be surprised if you preferred her. Don't you like the controlling and condescending ones?"

"If I liked those I would've dated you."

Takumi dodged a punch from Kotone before laughing heartily as he continued down the corridor.

"What an ass! Not like you have a chance with me anyways!" She finished her pout by sticking out her tongue at his retreating figure.

Kaori giggled and slapped her teammate on that arm, "You deserved that one, Kotone-chan!" With a wink she turned and ran down the hallway after the only male on their team.

"D-deserved it?! Oi! Kaori! What has he been telling you?" Kotone called after her.

AN: So this chapter was going to be much longer, but I realized how much time it was taking for me to write it so I opted to split the chapter at the beginning as filler for you folks waiting. I've got some health issues coming up – I should be fine but I am getting an MRI to be sure – and it's been rather time consuming when paired up with my work schedule. I do have the rest of this chapter going still and it should be out within a week! Thanks for reading!


	5. Let the Fighting Begin pt 1

When Rain Falls: Chapter 5 – Let the Fighting Begin Pt. 1

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Kotone felt an air of uncertainty as they moved to the upper level railings to watch the first of the matches. The second part of the exam, due to the overwhelming number of teams that made it this far, would be one-on-one matches selected randomly. However, because of the uneven number of teams, one team would be pit against victors.

"It gives the extra team an advantage, doesn't it?" Kaori asked once they were settled in a spot near some of the other Konoha teams.

Takumi let out a humming noise before answering, "Yes and no. The victors will have the confidence of winning, depending on their matches. However, they might use a lot of chakra and will have minimal time to recover it before facing a second opponent."

Toko nodded and continued for Takumi, "While it can give an advantage, it might not. If a match is unbalanced, the winner might not demonstrate much of their abilities. This would leave the second opponent in the dark as much as the first. It's about observation for the three that go against the finalists, as well as perseverance for the finalists."

"What do you mean, Toko-sensei?"

Kotone, who was leaning against the railing with her head in her hand, spoke up, "You never know when the battle will end. On a real battlefield you might defeat one opponent only to have another show up. If you're not careful, you'll reveal your techniques and wear yourself out too fast."

Kaori nodded and tightened her left fist as the nerves started to overwhelm her. She didn't have much experience in dueling situations, but they few she had rarely went well.

Takumi rested his hand on her right shoulder in comfort, almost forgetting the bad break in that arm.

"I'm excited to see what all these Konoha genin can do though. The youngest ones especially. I didn't think all of them would get this far," Kotone admitted from her spot, though the soft smile playing at her mouth hinted her joy at their survival.

Toko sighed and shook her head. "They're competition, Kotone."

"But not enemies," she mumbled in reply.

Toko glanced away from her young team to the rest. She recognized a few of the Konoha instructors, pausing longer on Kakashi than the others. He had an impressive background, but she wouldn't have pegged him as the teaching type. His reputation was something to fear, but had he instilled that type of training in his students, she wondered.

The first match would be Sasuke Uchiha vs another Konoha genin by the name of Yoroi Akado. Kotone faintly recalled Yoroi in the first part of the exam, but he had stayed silent the entire time. His presence was almost nonexistent for the entire exam so far.

"How will this go," Takumi wondered out loud as Sasuke trapped his opponent.

In seconds Sasuke was pinned by Yoroi with chakra visible on his hand.

"What a frightening ability," Toko murmured.

"What is it, Toko-sensei?" Kaori asked curiously.

"He's draining the Uchiha's chakra from him through touch. If he gets pinned like that again, he might lose consciousness due to a lack of chakra. It's a dangerous ability to fight against."

"It's a game of dodging for Sasuke," Kotone said as Naruto began to shout. She jolted from her slouched position when Sasuke didn't move from behind his opponent, the mark spreading again. "This chakra..." However, when his chakra returned to normal, Kotone relaxed again. Her teacher, however, remained cautious of the boy's sudden power increase.

"So he wins," Kaori observed as Sasuke was declared the victor.

"I wonder what that teacher is reading," Kotone muttered as Kakashi took Sasuke out of the room.

"Kotone, no," Toko instructed, "just focus on the next match."

"You'll love this Kotone," Takumi teased.

"Why? That overconfident prick from before is going to lose?"

"You should really study up on the clans of the big villages. Aburame clan might be particularly interesting to you."

Kotone focused her vision on the Aburame boy when the skittering sounds started. "No way." She started to tremble when the bugs were crawling up behind Zaku.

"Eh? Kotone-chan, is something wrong?" Naruto noticed her trembling from beyond Guy's team. He walked over and looked between her and the battle.

"Kotone-chan does not like bugs!" Kaori joyfully explained to the blonde boy.

"Ehhh?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"It's more of a deep irrational fear she has."

"And whose fault is that?!" Kotone harshly responded as she regained control of herself.

Takumi smirked and shrugged, "Not mine. It was Jin's idea."

Kotone jerked her head when Neji started to explain the Aburame clan's abilities. "Remind me to never piss off an Aburame."

"You can stop panicking now, Kotone-chan! Look! It's the boy from Suna next!" Kaori exclaimed.

Kotone looked at the screen and felt a wave of relief when the boy in black was moving to the floor not the red haired one. Her curiosity over the entire team from Suna made her focus on the matches despite the other conversations that were going on.

"Well, doesn't this look familiar," Toko muttered only loud enough for her team to hear.

"Ooooh, Kotone-chan, you'd do well against him wouldn't you? Because your-" Takumi placed an interrupting palm over Kaori's mouth.

Kotone let out a light chuckle and shrugged, "Don't forget, I've never beaten her. While they both use puppets, there's no saying how I'd do. I could still lose."

"Well at least he's not as scary as your mother," Takumi chimed in quietly. His remark caused Kotone to pale at the thought of her mother's training exercises and sparring style. Most of Kotone's abilities came from her parents' strict training schedule for her prior to her academy days and on her days off from genin missions. Kotone could picture her mother's long ebon hair getting pulled back into a high ponytail before a smile would spread across her face.

Kotone shivered. Kaori let out a short giggle, "Your mama really scares you, doesn't she, Kotone-chan?"

"Ah, that's right, Kaori, you've only met her at the house. That woman is a major sadist, but without her training I wouldn't be as good as I am," though by the time she reached the end of her sentence Kotone's voice has diminished.

The match ended in favor of Kankuro. Sakura started to head for the bathrooms, why else head off the balcony observation area before the next opponents' names were illuminated on the screen. She gave polite nod to Kotone and her team before descending the staircase.

It was at this moment that Naruto decided to visit with the Ame team rather loudly: "Kotone-chan! Kaori-chan!"

Kotone smiled at the boy's bright greeting, but could feel the questioning stares of the nearby instructors. "Naruto, you ready for your match?"

"Yeah! I'm ready to go against whoever they pair me against! No matter what, I'll win!"

A scoff from the Hyuga caused Kotone's olive eyes to snap to him, his female team flinching. With her eyes still locked on the brown hair boy, Kotone continued to smile gently, "Oh, well then I hope I don't get paired with you, Naruto. I would make you work for that victory."

Rubbing his nose with a childish grin, Naruto chuckled, "It'd be a good match! I want to see what you guys can do! Oh? But, Kaori-chan, is your arm hurt?"

Kotone and Takumi shifted their distracted gazes to their young teammate. Smiling gently, Kaori shifted her sling and nodded, "I'm still going to fight. I'd rather fight with the injury and see how far I get, than give up."

Naruto nodded, "That's right! Great attitude, Kaori-chan!"

Takumi coughed and Naruto's eyes met his before he squinted. "You don't seem very interested in me, Naruto."

"Eh? Well, you remind me a bit of Sasuke so I guess I haven't really noticed you as much." Naruto was grinning while rubbing his neck.

Kotone had to hold back her laughter while Takumi glared at Naruto until he traveled back to his sensei and Sakura rejoined them.

"Oh?" Takumi raised an eyebrow at the next pairing.

Haruno Sakura vs Yamanaka Ino

"I wonder what we'll see from these two now," Takumi mumbled as anyone with a strength for observation might.

Kotone's eyes narrowed when Naruto's voice carried a comment about Sakura doing well. Kaori tugged at one of Kotone's long crimson sleeves with a questioning glance.

"Sure enough, they're kunoichi. So this is their level of hand-to-hand combat?" voiced the Hyuga.

Again Kotone's eyes darted to the boy with opalescent eyes. Takumi placed a hand on her shoulder to silence her and prevent her from sending the boy across the room. Hyuga or not, Takumi had a feeling Kotone would win the fight out of pure stubbornness and anger if he kept the quips up. Though he was intrigued when the Hyuga's teammate in pink corrected him on what made the battle less than exciting.

"I'm not sure I understand," Kaori voiced.

Takumi sighed, "This match feels like people just sparring with the minimum ability required. They aren't actually fighting, but rather just trying playing around. Would you hold back against Kotone or me like this?"

Kaori shook her head, "No, I feel like I'd have more to prove and go all out for against you two."

"So where are the Sakura and Ino that we observed in the last challenge?" Takumi concluded his observation quiet enough that only his team might hear, unless someone with a keen ear was straining to listen in.

As the fight dragged on, Sakura and Ino started to hit a point of conflict. Sakura moved her forehead protector to her forehead and declared how insignificant Ino was to her. This turning tide brought more interest to fight and allowed Kotone to smile again.

"Always the guardian," Toko mumbled from the side.

"Eh?" Kaori, the only one to hear their sensei turned her head.

An unusually relaxed and gentle expression crossed her face for just a moment, surprising Kaori who was used to their pragmatic, and usually angry, instructor. She lifted a finger to her lips to silence the black haired girl.

Kotone's eyes narrowed at a technique Sakura used out of the blue to catch Ino off guard. _"Brief chakra bursts to increase speed, huh? Careful Kaori, she might just solve your fighting style, though you take it to an extreme level."_

"You saw it too?" Takumi smirked knowingly at Kotone. Her smile was all Takumi needed for a reply.

The match was going to well until, yet again, a girl cut her hair.

Kotone sighed and mumbled in annoyance, "What is with these Konoha genin and chopping off their hair? Is this a cultural difference?"

"What was Ino's last name?" Takumi ignored the hair cutting incident entirely, instead more curious about the jutsu she was preparing to perform.

"Yamanaka," Kaori replied quickly. While she was not a genius, Kaori did have a remarkable memory for details easily ignored. Takumi was aware of the Yamanaka family, though only barely. However, Sakura was quick to explain most of the details of the jutsu which he made note of.

Kotone noticed the tension from Ino's team as she readied her jutsu. Out of curiosity, Kotone did the hand signs necessary for her kekke genkai underneath her sleeves. She looked about the entire span between the two as Ino slumped to the floor. The hair that traveled between the two was what interested her the most as it seemed Ino was a bit more of a strategist than the snow haired girl had given her credit for.

Toko noticed her student using her jutsu, but said nothing. Kotone was the observant one of their team. She often passed off moments of observation to her teammates to be fair, but even without her Ueno bloodline the girl was sharp and precise about things. It didn't surprise the short haired teacher when Sakura was unable to move do to a chakra trap in the hair on the floor.

"What happens to the mind of the body when it gets possessed like that?" Kaori asked curiously.

"It's suppressed, "Toko explained, "The owner would never really know what happened if caught of guard. They'd wake up later confused. It's also near impossible to break, as far as any records dictate –" When Ino started to struggle in her control over Sakura, Toko averted her eyes and coughed lightly.

When the match ended up in a double knockout, Kotone let out a light laugh. "Almost suitable, isn't it?"

Takumi scoffed gently, feigning distate, "They were both rather low on chakra."

The next match left Kotone livid. It was short and engaging to watch, but the attitude of Temari angered Kotone to no end. Her jutsu had been active the entire fight, just watching Tenten's movements as well as Temari's. Before Tenten could solve the mystery of the blonde's jutsu, Kotone had seen it with her right eye. The fan would be problematic if anyone on her team ended up against the Suna girl, but Kotone knew she could even the playing field. Her fingers flexed and the wires tugged at the sudden tension created.

The match that followed Temari and Tenten generated some interest from Kotone as Shikamaru's intellect was exposed more thoroughly.

"Ohhh, it's Takumi 2.0," Kotone teased.

Said brunette's eyebrow twitched, "E-excuse me?"

"Ah, that did it, Kotone-chan! But it'd be interesting to see those two fight wouldn't it?"

Takumi sighed with a quick glare to his light haired teammate. He hadn't expected such intellect from a boy that age. He grit his teeth at the pairing of a high IQ and a powerful kekke genkai. Takumi resented many ninja clans with special techniques that gave them an edge. The Uchiha being at the top of the list with their ability to mimic everything without practice. The fact that there were two remaining didn't lessen his detest in the slightest. While he couldn't rightfully judge Sasuke, Takumi disliked him. Same with the Hyuga boy nearby with such pride radiating in his behavior.

Kotone pat his shoulder and that helped to release his tension. Takumi had at one point hated Kotone on the principle of her being of the Ueno clan. However, witnessing her hard work made him realize that not all bloodlines were given the grace of good fortune. However, Takumi's strength was his intelligence and innovation in battle, not his actual prowess for combat. So to see that in Konoha genin left him unsettled.

"Ah, so wires might not be very effective against him. Suggestions if I fight him Takumi?" Kotone efforts to distract him didn't go unnoticed, but he appreciated the effort.

"You'd have to catch him off guard. You'd be fine so long as he was unaware of your technique, most likely. Though, he'd probably be ready to overcome that challenge. It'd depend on how much you could micromanage in the fight."

Kotone nodded in agreement. There was a lot more to these fights, depending on opponent that is. If It was someone like Sakura or even Kaori, the fight would be rather direct. A challenge of skill level. However, opponents like Shikamaru and Takumi would involved outwitting the opponent. Temari required cutting her off from her weapon, same as Tenten. Puppet fights usually mean disabling the puppet, but that's not an easy feat, Kotone knew from sparring her mother's frightening inventions. The Aburame meant losing unless you could remove the bugs somehow, but that was impossible it seemed.

"This is more complicated than I initially thought it'd be," Kotone mumbled as the screen flared up again.

Uzumaki Naruto vs. Inuzuka Kiba

"It's Naruto's turn!" Kaori whispered excitedly. They had yet to actually see the boy in combat and were curious if he had talent for fighting or was just stubborn and reckless.

Takumi sighed, "My money is on the Inuzuka. It's basically 2-vs-1."

"Inuzuka, isn't that a clan that utilizes animal companions in combat?" Kotone asked, her memory of the information vague.

Toko and Takumi stared at her with blank expressions, "I did start to read up on Konoha on the way you know! I just didn't get far into it..."

"Animal companions?" Kaori asked, her eyes sparkling like moving water.

"See the dog he has? The Inuzuka's have senses much like dogs, but they also have dog companions they fight in sync with. It's a rather difficult training process, but I respect them for their unique style," Toko explained with simplicity. "The scar on my left leg is from a duel with an Inuzuka. If I remember right her name was Hana? It was a misunderstanding that lead to us fighting, but once it was cleared up we got along rather well."

"You have a friend?!" Kotone gasped only to get hit over the head.

The trio observed as Naruto appeared to be knocked out instantly. He was up quickly with a fighting spirit unlike anything they had seen. "So this is Naruto's strength? What a powerful advantage to have."

Kaori nodded in agreement. It was what she had experienced in the first test, when Naruto stood up to Ibiki. He had an inspirational power to him that made trio admire him.

"Wahhh, transformations and clones used together. He is smarter than I thought," Takumi chimed in along with most of the gallery.

"Well that's just unsettling," Kotone mumbled when Akamaru transformed into a second Kiba and they were in unison. "It's interesting, but there is something unsettling to it."

"This bothers you, Kotone-chan?"

"Mmm, even bothers seems like the wrong word. I just find it odd I guess, but at this rate Naruto could lose. Kiba seems like the type of opponent you want to disable before he gets the chance to use that food pill and joint attacks with Akamaru."

Takumi nodded, "It would be wiser in the long run, but I imagine there are other ways to beat this style. Everything has a weakness."

When Naruto transformed into Kiba again to fool him over which was Akamaru, Takumi grinned, "The love on one's pet, for example. Kiba is shocked every time Akamaru is injured. It leaves him open to attack."

"But how will this end?" Kaori questioned as Kiba readied himself for another onslaught. Naruto was running out of options, it was true. Though Kotone had to admit the kid could take a punch like nothing she had seen.

When it came down to Naruto disabling Kiba by accidentally ripping one in his face, Kotone could barely hold her laughter to the point of her sage toned eyes tearing up. Takumi scoffed in disgust while Kaori just turned her head in embarrassment.

He ran by in joy to his team, smiling to his friends on the way.

"Oh? There were two Hyuga members weren't there?" Kotone asked when he stopped by a girl named Hinata.

"She is very easy to miss," Takumi admitted, "but it would appear she is shy."

"Ah, Takumi," Kotone called out with a curious tone.

He turned to regard her question with an eyebrow raised.

"We're the leftover team," she pointed out simply. She could see him work through the math in his head and he nodded.

"Eh?" Naruto chimed from near them, "That means I could end up fighting one of you too?!"

"I guess so, Naruto," Kotone grinned. "I admit I was impressed by your match. You could probably outlast Takumi with sheer stubbornness!"

"O-oi! Kotone!" Takumi chided her though he knew she was trying to encourage Naruto to do his best though he had depleted a lot of chakra after his match.

"Shouldn't you be observing your potential opponents?" Toko reminded them with a cold stare.

"Y-yes," Takumi and Kotone replied in unison as Naruto retreated to his sensei and Sakura.

"The Hyugas are against each other?" Takumi questioned with his brows furrowed.

"Were you hoping to fight one, Takumi-kun?" Kaori piped up.

He shook his head in response. "No. Rather I'm curious how this will go. They'd have the same fighting style, wouldn't they?"

"Mmm, but will they have the same level of skill? Hinata is pretty shy, but her teammates are strong. I wonder where she falls along the spectrum of ability," Kotone leaned against the railing, her eyes trained on the male Hyuga. She resented his pride, but was curious about his clear dislike for his relative. His eyes showed something dark behind them. A darkness Kotone recognized in Takumi at one point.

Immediately Neji attacked Hinata's gentle personality and lack of confidence. A scowl crossed her face as he berated her without hesitation.

"I don't understand," Kaori frowned. "They're relatives, shouldn't it be more precious to them?"

Takumi's eyes were wide as Neji touched on the topic of change and how he was considered inferior because he is of the Branch family. Kotone glanced at Takumi before he hid his expression beneath his bangs.

"That boy is horribly misguided," Toko whispered. "Many born to the inferior household begin to resent the heads because they are treated poorly. That boy has been lead to believe something unnecessary."

Naruto's voice interrupted the mental attack Neji had laid out. Kotone felt a wave of relief that he was calling out to her, whereas she was unable to even correct Neji. She made a mental note to try and talk with Neji if the chance arose.

"That stance! Kaori, observe," Toko demanded suddenly. The bursts of chakra from the strikes between Neji and Hinata cause Kaori to tense. "They aren't inflicting punches. They fight to damage the paths of chakra in the body and damage the organs. Kaori, this is the opposite to your style. Your damage is physical, external, but it is a force of chakra much like their style. Keep an eye on this technique and you might learn a new method for your own skills."

"But, I can't do their fighting style without the Byakugan, can I, Toko-sensei?"

Her sensei shook her head, the short black hairstyle bouncing lightly with the motion. "No, you're right. Without the kekke genkai, you cannot actually achieve the style, but your attacks are on the exterior, remember? You can do physical damage with precise strikes to their body, but the flow of combat and the way they move in battle is what you need."

Kaori shivered slightly as Neji revealed the disrupted chakra points on Hinata's arm. Neji continued to prod Hinata with her limited ability after knocking her across the room, this time angering Kaori slightly.

"Stand up, Hinata-chan," Kaori whispered to herself as the girl slowly lifted herself off the ground.

Kotone's eyes widened and she reactivated her own bloodline trait.

"Kotone?" Takumi questioned.

"Her pulse. Something is off about her pulse in her neck," Kotone mumbled in reply.

Hinata coughed up blood before resuming her stance at Naruto's cheers. Her moves were messier this time with little strength behind them, but Kotone's eyes softened at her efforts. She released her own jutsu when Neji landed a strong blow to Hinata's jaw.

At Hinata's collapse, Kotone felt frustrated but also understood there was a powerful difference in skill level between the two. While she didn't agree with Neji's constant braying about fate and the inability to change, this was not going to end well for Hinata if she continued to fight with a damaged heart.

At Hinata's insistence that it was Neji was in the worse spot, Kotone felt a twinge of sympathy for the boy especially after his rage toward Hinata prompted Jounin interferrence. Even Toko had flashed down to interfere, but instead found herself catching the injured girl.

"She needs treatment, immediately," Toko explained as Hinata proceeded to cough up blood. Hinata's instructor unzipped her coat and felt for Hinata's pulse.

When Neji proceeded to chastise even her sensei, Toko walked toward him, her eyes empty as usual. The boy only took a step back because of the unknown element with the Ame team leader.

"Speak with respect to your senseis, Hyuga," Toko said calmly before instantly arriving next to her team now that Hinata was being treated.

The next match pairing lit up the screen after the floor was cleaned. The Ame team's eyes widened at the only know they hadn't heard the entire time: Gaara.

Toko tapped Takumi's shoulder and whispered something in his ear as the sand reacted to Lee's attacks. He tensed before relaxing, though Kotone hadn't heard what she had said.

Every attack was stopped by sand walls while it simultaneously attacked back.

"The sand protects Gaara of its own accord," Kankuro's voice barely reached Kotone's ear.

"What the hell," She mumbled. Odds were even her wires wouldn't penetrate the sand. However, the fear of the sand quickly became a fear of Lee when the weights dropped.

Kotone twitched when even her own impressive speed seemed dwarfed by Lee's post weights speed. "Don't bother activating your jutsu here, Kotone," Toko chimed when she saw Kotone lift her arms to make the seals.

"Eh?"

"You'll just strain it too far with these speeds. Use this opportunity to train your regular sight."

Kotone stared at her sensei for an extra moment longer than needed in confusion at what she meant. Usually she was forcing her to use her kekke genkai.

"What in the-?" Takumi grunted in confusion as the sand crumbled off the boy's face before readjusting and recreating the stoic outer layer they had seen. The fight continued until it appeared as though Lee had won. The brief silence before the clone crumbled was heavy.

"Lee is strong," Toko finally spoke with a sigh, "but this Gaara is going on the offensive now."

"He was only on the defensive, accustomed to never having anyone breach that guard. I feel like he's getting angry," Kaori observed with furrowed brows. Her usually light mood was changing during this match.

"Someone that can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu." Takumi's eyes softened as Lee took the abuse from Gaara's sand. "But he uses what he can to outdo his opponent, even training to painful degrees."

Kotone nodded, but felt shock riddle her body when Lee started to speed up again. Everything about this boy was misleading.

"Don't tell me-!" Toko winced as Lee started to change and power overflowed from his body. The floor was devastated by his next attacks. Kaori and Takumi covered their eyes from the dust storm while Kotone barely blocked rocks from the blast, keeping her eyes on the battle.

"This technique is forbidden. To open the inner gates can be debilitating. In all my years, every shinobi I've met that's tried has become disabled or died in the process," Toko was openly frowning at this use of the technique, but there was a strange hint that she impressed. Gaara, however, survived the attacks with his defense.

"It's over," Kotone whispered as Lee tried to crawl from the sand.

Kaori covered her mouth as the sand crushed his left limbs and left Lee unconscious. Kotone's grip on the railing had her knuckles pale. Takumi had looked away, preferring to admire the boy's strength, not see him weakened like that after such a powerful fight.

"Toko-sensei, will he be able to...?" Kotone couldn't finish her sentence as Lee stood up again.

Even her teacher's forest toned eyes widened at the boy's will to keep going.

"No. He might never recover from this," Toko replied as quietly as he could.

"He'll recover," Kaori said firmly.

"Kaori-" Toko started before the young girl interrupted her as Guy was told the same damning news.

"He will recover," Kaori whispered. This was the cruelty they hoped to avoid for a while longer with Kaori. Despite everything she had seen in Amegakure, Kaori was still so pure and kind.

Kotone pat her young teammate's head with a practiced smile. "Let's hope he will, Kaori. That is all we can do, right?"

Kaori nodded with a bright smile to her teammate.

The final match of the initial round had such a bittersweet taste to it. It was comical and short lived, but following Lee and Gaara was a painful endeavor.

"Now we will sort the remaining team against the victors'," the proctor said with a cough.

The screen started to rotate names in and out of the two spots before stopping.

Temari vs Ueno Kotone


	6. Let the Fighting Begin pt 2

When Rain Falls: Chapter 5 – Let the Fighting Begin Pt. 2

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

"Ohhh?" Kotone intoned. Her eyes dashed to her opponent across the room who was smiling smugly.

Temari and Kotone stood opposite each other on the, now very damaged, floor.

"Kotone-chan! You can do it!" Naruto cheered with surprising vigor for how upset he was moments ago.

"Well then, Temari, I've already seen your techniques. Do you want to take the first move, or do I get the same warnings your last opponent got?" Kotone's smile never left her face. She respected every opponent she had ever faced and Temari would be no different, but the blonde was too proud.

"You think you'll beat me just because you've seen what I can do? Aren't we cocky?"

"Oh? Then I'll go first." Kotone made the handsigns upder her sleeves and silently activated her eye jutsu, her right eye becoming painfully aware of every motion Temari made. However, Temari could neither see this nor realized her hands had moved from under her long sleeves. Kotone started to run a familiar circle around Temari.

The width was the exact distance Tenten had run and Kotone took the opportunity to throw the same weapons from her stash in her sleeves at Temari at the same timing Tenten would have. Temari had her smug grin still present, but her eyes were started to narrow in suspicion.

"That didn't work the last time!" She reminded and quickly targeted Kotone with a blast of wind. Kotone sped up and easily dodged it before wagging her finger and tsking. She had completed just a single circle with her quick jump back to her starting point.

"So you're faster than you let on," the blonde pointed out, "but don't think your speed will help you here."

"I don't know, it could help!" Kotone dodged another blast of air by ducking to the floor at a pace faster than Temari could see.

"Seems like your worth the third star!" Temari opened the fan entirely and sent a gust similar to the one that caught Tenten towards Kotone. Kotone, however, didn't dodge it. Instead she moved to block it, her arms crossed in front of her as the wind lifted her off the ground. Temari's smile grew and she was prepared to close her fan in conclusion when to her surprise, Kotone didn't fall after the twister dissipated.

Instead she remained in her pose in the air. The white haired girl shifted and went to a standing position, as if there was something beneath her feet to keep her from falling.

"You look a little confused, Temari. With a precise wall of chakra, your wind is rendered less effective, though it was incredibly loud in that vortex."

"What wall of chakra?!"

"Ah, I should explain. When I imitated Tenten, you didn't care enough to notice what I was doing. Every gust of wind that sent my weapons into the walls and across the room allowed me a chance to take over this room. I guess it'd help if you saw what I meant," Kotone shifted her arms so that her sleeves fell to her elbows. The mechanisms on her arms drawing attention, thought not completely explaining anything until the wires around the room lit up as she forced more chakra through them. The wire she was standing on had been the first to light up.

"Wires?" Temari looked around and realized how she had created the opportunity for the setup. "Then I'll just cut them!"

The chakra on the wires dissipated and the blast of wind from Temari did nothing but cause Kotone's hairtie to snap, allowing her hair to fall around her face.

"These are empowered by my chakra, meaning that so long as I maintain an exact amount of chakra through them they can be as tough as I need them to be."

"I'll admit, I didn't think I'd see such a fighting style. I give you credit, you're harder to fight than you look. But I'm not finished yet!"

Kotone narrowed her eyes as she saw Temari's arms twitch before she moved the fan. Kotone wasn't prepared for the knife like blasts of chakra in this particular gust, however, and she felt a number of her wires go slack after being cut. Even her left sleeve was practically sliced off by this gust.

"I had no need to get this serious with my last opponent, but it looks like you're more of a challenge!" Temari sent another gust her way. Kotone dodged the wind, but sacrificed her control over the room to do so.

"I'll be honest, I didn't think you could create such blasts of chakra in the wind. It's impressive," Kotone admitted with a stoic stare at her opponent.

Temari rested of fan on the ground and smiled at her, "Same to you. How will this fight end?"

"Curiously."

Kotone dashed at Temari with her full speed causing the young woman to take a step back in surprise. Temari deflect an attack from Kotone with her fan, but regretted the decision when the snow hair girl ripped the fan away by using her chakra to wrap wires around it quickly.

Temari continued to block Kotone's attacks, but her arms and legs were getting snared in the wires each time Kotone's hands got remotely close to her. It was like a spider wrapping its frenzied prey. Kotone was calm and focused while Temari felt a small surge of panic over losing.

"Yeah Kotone-chan!" Naruto cheered.

Temari freed one leg by forcing her chakra to break the wires, though a few cut into her skin in the process. Kotone dodged the kick by suddenly flipping away from her opponent. She lifted her right arm and tugged on the wires that clearly lead to Temari. All her threads tightened and various cuts appeared in the girl's dress and along her arms.

"Any tighter and you might get seriously injured," Kotone gently warned, "I wouldn't struggle anymore."

"If you think I'm going to surrender, you're wrong."

"I'd rather not knock you out, but if need be I can."

"Can you? Seems like you're too hesitant to actually strike someone down."

Kotone sighed before disappearing in front of Temari and appearing behind her. She struck the back of her neck, forcing the blonde to slump over into Kotone's arms. Kotone grabbed a kunai from a sleeve.

"Kotone, the match is over!" The proctor called out, Kotone just smiled at him gently.

She cut the wires from Temari before she picked her up and returned the blonde to where her team was.

"She should be fine, I only hit hard enough to knock her out."

"Y-yes," Temari's instructor nodded to Kotone.

She gave a curt and polite bow before returning to her own team on the other side of the room. Takumi tossed her a jar with a salve in it which she squinted her eyes at.

"Is this going to do something strange to me or does this one actually work?" Kotone teased, her usual happy expression returning to her face.

He flicked her arm where Temari's wind had left a cut.

"Ow! Rude!" Kotone went to smack him, but stopped when the screen displayed the next pairing.

Yuzuki Kaori vs Hyuga Neji

"Kaori," Kotone voiced with a hint worry.

"I'll be fine, Kotone-chan! I'll do my best!"

Kaori jumped down while Takumi and Kotone gave each other worried looks.

"An injury? Are you sure you wish to proceed?" The proctor asked politely.

Kaori nodded and took a deep breath. Meanwhile, Kotone traveled to where Naruto was out of nervousness.

"Kotone-chan! Your fight was amazing! I couldn't even see those wires!" Naruto's voice pour with excitement.

"Ah! Well they're thinner than normal. What makes them strong is my chakra. My dad invented them," she explained as simply as possible.

"Whoa! He invented them?! How cool is that!"

Naruto's instructor was staring at Kotone, aware of the Ueno clan bloodline limit. He chimed in, "It was an impressive fight. I imagine it requires a lot of practice."

"Well, my mom is a puppet master so I've always been playing with chakra control in thread like methods. I just had more talent for wire manipulation than puppetry."

Kakashi nodded and turned his gaze to the fight that was starting. If Kotone was an example of the Ame team's strength, then the remaing two fights could be interesting as well.

"That's right, Kotone I know I asked earlier, but seeing it happen with that Suna team too..."

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Is it common for age gaps between teammates?"

Kotone saw even Kakashi flinch at the question. Clearly he knew a few reasons why it would happen.

Taking a deep breath, Kotone replied, "Not too common that I know of. It does happen for a few reason though; some folks retire early, get injured, such is the way of the shinobi. Kaori's done a great job and keeping up with us though!"

"So, Kaori can keep up with you guys despite the extra years of training?" Naruto asked, "She seems so nice and friendly!"

"She is! But she's strong when she does it right. Her issue is control."

"Control?" Sakura raised and eyebrow.

"Ah, you'll see," Kotone started to apply the salve Takumi gave her to her small cuts and bruises.

Kaori bowed to Neji before taking a stance. Despite her right arm being injured and in a sling, her stance was near perfect. Neji let out a light scoff – not enough to be insulting but enough to merit a twitch from Kaori – before taking his stance and activating his Byakugan.

Neji waited for Kaori to make a move, but the girl knew better than to get closer. If he wanted to get her in range he needed to take the offensive. She could wait.

Neji let out a tsk before moving forward only to be greeted by a dodge and powerful kick that sent him a few feet away, though minimal harm was done.

Kaori remained in the pose after the kick, her leg slowly returning to its stable position on the ground. If should could outlast the Hyuga boy, then she might be able to win this.

However, beating Neji was going to be toughed than that. He saw the chakra in her leg right after the kick landed and was quick to realize her attack style. It became his goal to shut down the flow of chakra in her legs and remaining arm.

"Wait a minute, how'd she land that on Neji!" Naruto questioned.

"Kaori's fighting style is strictly defensive unless necessary. In a real situation where her life was at stake she'd be more aggressive, but otherwise she's content to let the challenge come to her. The more patient and calm she is, the more control over her attacks she has. And getting close to Neji is out of the question with the Hyuga fighting style."

"So she's going to keep hitting him away from her before he lands a blow?" Sakura asked.

Kotone nodded and smiled. "Kaori has a unique ability of releasing chakra in large bursts from her arms, legs, and feet just as she comes into contact with her opponent. It's an explosive skill if done well, but her last hit wasn't very strong. Just enough to keep him away from her. She's gotten into a lot of trouble because of it though."

"That's why her arm is in a sling," Kakashi deduced.

"We got in a small fight with another team from Ame in the last challenge. Unfortunately Kaori had to risk back flow of chakra in order to not destroy Takumi's ribcage when our plan went awry."

"Back flow of chakra?" Naruto's face painting a dumb confusion but Kotone just looked back to her teammate who was maintaining her strategy.

"If Kaori's target changes or becomes unsafe to get near it's hard for her to stop herself. The chakra is already built up to a large level in her fist, for example. Well if her target were to suddenly move out of the way and come at her from behind, Kaori would be in a tight spot because all her force was already going forward. To change directions, she has to physically stop going one way, as well as try to change her focus of chakra to another part of her body. This usually causes her own bones to crack or even break when she releases the chakra improperly."

"So, her arm is broken because of her own abilities?" Naruto shivered.

"Mhmm. Kaori's fighting style is amazing, but she's injured herself more than anyone else. Part of it is that she doesn't want to seriously hurt anyone and a powerful strike that like to the chest could shatter a ribcage or sternum, or anywhere else for that matter, and handicap a person for life. Kaori isn't that cruel," Kotone finished with a light sigh.

Kaori gasped in pain when Neji dodged a punch from her left hand only to land a strike to her broken arm. She collapsed to the ground and clutched at her arm as the pain radiated in waves that made her nauseous.

Kotone frowned at the tactic, but Kaori did choose to fight with a bad injury. Sure the medics had started to heal it, but a shattered bone required a few treatments to ensure it was set right. Neji's strike likely undid a bit of their progress.

Kaori waited for another blow, but Neji remained in his spot, even relaxing from his stance. He turned his head to look at Kotone and then scanned down the railing to Takumi and Toko before sighing.

"Surrender this match. You're not in a position to fight at your strongest and I can see the damage to your arm. If you don't get it re-set it won't heal properly."

"I can keep going –!" Kaori started to reply before she shifted her shoulder just a little causing her to collapse to the ground in pain. "W-what did you do?"

"I hit some of the chakra points in your arm to prevent chakra from flowing to your injury. Without your chakra, the pain will feel escalated. You cannot win this fight."

"I'm not weak!" Kaori cried out, panting as she stood up with her right arm braced to her body. The less motion the better.

"Kaori!" Kotone called from the stands. The young girl looked up to her with a pleading that she be allowed to finish, but Kotone shook her head. "Kaori, there's no shame in quitting here and getting better first. You can kick his ass another day!"

With a head tilt and a smile, Kotone persuaded her teammate. Kaori sighed and nodded, wincing as she turned her head to the proctor. "I surrender."

"Wait a minute, shouldn't she have continued? Isn't telling her to quit a bit harsh, Kotone-chan?" Naruto's brows furrowed, uncertain of Kotone's suggestion that Kaori surrender.

"She shattered the bone in her right forearm. What Neji did when he hit her arm means that she's constantly feeling the pain from her injury. Usually chakra can dull some pain we experience with the abuse of being shinobi, but when you cut that flow off and leave your nerves to themselves an injury will feel as bad as it should. Kaori is especially sensitive to chakra flow and can sense chakra over long distances with a frightening accuracy, so it probably affects her worse than we would notice."

"But won't she feel like you didn't think she could win?"

"Kaori isn't the type to do that. For today she'll be a bit down over losing, but she'll turn it into a desire to win the next time. Plus I did say she'd win against him another day. It was actually very merciful of Neji to allow her the chance to surrender. He could have done permanent damage to her arm if he wanted to."

Naruto nodded as the understanding set in. Kotone didn't want Kaori to lose either, but for today this was safer. There was no need to risk her right arm for this part of the test when Kaori could train more and improve for the next fight she'd get into.

The medics ran out to Kaori to take her for treatment, but Kotone was by her side quickly and tilted her head forward so that Kaori's bangs hung over her eyes. "You did well."

Kaori nodded and smiled weakly at Kotone. She didn't want to quit like that, but Neji used her weakness against her as any enemy would have. She should have protected that side of her body more, but instead she left it exposed to try and strike him rather than sticking to her defensive strategy. Kaori knew her mistake, but it didn't make her feel any better to know what she did.

"Tell Takumi he better win!" Kaori shouted as she was escorted to the medical facilities.

Kotone returned to her team where she smacked Takumi on the back hard. "Your turn!"

They watched the screens as the names cycled through a final time. The result almost made Kotone laugh.

Hamada Takumi vs Nara Shikamaru

"Tell me this is a joke," Shikamaru groaned from his spot.

Takumi let out a sigh before he cast a glare to Kotone who was shaking with chuckles. Either the match would be entertaining to watch, or as fun as watching a game of chess. Regardless, she was curious who would outsmart who.

"This is such a drag. Why do I have to go twice in one day?" Shikamaru complained on the floor.

Takumi shrugged. "I guess I should count my luck at getting someone I could actually fight against."

Shikamaru's eyebrow twitched at the light prodding Takumi dealt. Both stood there and waited for a moment after the start of the match, waiting for one to make a move to predict the rest of the fight.

"This is fun, Takumi, but if you could just start with anything, that'd be great!" Kotone called down from her spot next to Toko-sensei. The dark hair teacher landed a light whack to her head again, causing her to rub at the blow with a pout.

"You already know what I can do. I'm surprised you're not moving first," Shikamaru finally spoke.

"I know what you can do, but what you start with changes what might happen next. But if you really want me to go first," Takumi stated as he reached into his supply bag, "Then I'll go first."

With his statement finished, Takumi threw threw small bombs at Shikamaru. The lazy boy didn't get away in enough time for the first of the explosions and the smoke that appeared caused him to cough and flee to the side. He got out of the smoke, but found that his vision was twisting and he placed an unsteady hand to his head.

"Sorry, but I'd rather end this quickly so I used my strongest mixture," Takumi admitted with a shrug.

"M-mixture? You made this?" Shikamaru collapsed to one knee.

"My strong suit lies in genjutsu, but sometimes it's hard to lure people into illusions. My scented bombs provide a much better starting point," Takumi explained as he did a few handsigns. He activated the jutsu, trapping Shikamaru rather effectively.

"Hmm, is it that easy for him?" Kotone pondered out loud. Her and Kaori were often the guinea pigs for Takumi's inventions and mixtures, but when one worked it was a pain to get out of. Inflicting pain to youself wasn't always an option since pain wouldn't do much against your sense of smell. However, the strongest of Takumi's perfumes had the shortest lifespans and sometimes only lasted a few seconds before you could pull yourself free from the dream. Though it also depended on the dream and how well it pulled you in.

However, it didn't surprise Kotone when Shikamaru's shadow started to crawl across the room while Takumi looked away for a moment, waiting for the usual collapse that happened when he exposed someone to his perfume bombs. He was suddenly caught and his eyes darted back to Shikamaru who was panting from his position.

"Man, what a troublesome fighting style. If I hadn't gotten a hold on a kunai before I went under I would've lost."

"So now what? I'm not really in the same position as your last opponent. Where are you going to go from here?" Takumi wasn't really angry, he could have knocked Shikamaru out instead of waiting but he hadn't expected him to actually break it after the scent dissipated. He underestimated his opponent.

"I give," Shikamaru threw his hand up in defeat. "I didn't really have anything planned after that point and I'd rather not go through another set of your inventions."

Takumi blinked a few times before sighing, "I guess I'll take it."

The two nodded at each other before Shikamaru retreated back to his team where Ino berated him for give up so quickly when he barely put up a fight.

Kotone chuckled at the result, not expecting much more than that. They wanted to feel the other one out in terms of intelligence and fighting style, and that's exactly what they did. No more effort required at this point in the Exams.

Hayate coughed before announcing the completion of the preliminaries. He was rejoined by the proctors of the other two stages as well as the Hokage. They had the victors line up and offered their congratulations at getting this far. Temari had even rejoined the group having woken up after her loss to Kotone.

"The Final Round will commence in one month," The Hokage explained.

Naruto squited in confusion over the period of time between now and then, a question others probably had curiosities about. However, it was explained that one month preparation was needed to gather the audience they had intended as well as to allow the examinees to ready themselves.

As they each drew the slips of paper, Kotone glanced around to the rest of the genin. Depending on who she got she might have to surrender, her biggest concern being Gaara and his defensive sand.

Kotone and Takumi stood next to each other and, against the odds, pulled ten and eleven in order. When Ibiki showed the board of fights, it became apparent that the two would end up dueling each other due to the strange number of fights. Temari was set a second round combatant for the winner of the Shikamaru vs Dosu match.

"This has to be a joke," Kotone mumbled with a sideways glance to Takumi who slumped him shoulders at the realization.

"Oh? Looks like to two Amegakure finalists are paired?" the Hokage asked when he saw their reactions.

"Ah, yes! It will be interesting to see how well people enjoy seeing us spar, but we will give it our all," Kotone replied with a polite bow.

The Hokage let out a laugh at her polite behavior despite the personality she had already shown up to this point but nodded in response before Shikamaru asked about the finer details of the tournament. As everyone turned to leave, the Hokage called out to Kotone and Takumi, as well as Toko for an extra moment.

"I'm sorry to inform you that while you've been here, Amegakure has been in a state of unrest," the Hokage started to explain.

The two students shared a worried look, fearing their families were caught up in the foolish civil war they had left back at home, but the leader of Konoha was quick to calm their fears.

"It is actually thanks to a letter from your parents, Kotone, that brought this to my attention. They also informed me that Takumi's mother is doing well. However, they had a request that I wanted to run by your team before I make my decision."

"A request? It's unusual for my parents to ask for anything," Kotone furrowed her brows. Her parents were very reclusive in Amegakure, but many folks in that village weren't trustworthy to begin with.

The Hokage nodded before taking a deep breath and releasing a puff of smoke. "They requested a move to Konoha. With the nomadic nature of the Ueno clan, it would be hard to deny them for reasons of allegiance, but Takumi's mother opposes the idea. If I approve of the move for Kotone's family, Takumi's mother won't come with, I'm told."

Takumi sighed and ran his hand up to his ponytail. "She was born in Ame and will die in Ame. That's what she's always said."

"Why are they suddenly keen on leaving?" Kotone was trying to wrap her head around her parent's decision, but she was struggling to see the point. They had no love for Hanzo, the current leader of Ame, nor did they get involved in the civil war. They even went as far as to refuse to sell their ninja tools to idiots who were involved.

"They fear for you, Kotone. They don't want you exposed to the chaos in Amegakure anymore than you need to be, and evidently their ability to refuse distasteful customers is getting harder. They want you to live in a country that will value your life and that of your teammates'. Takumi, could you persuade your mother?"

He shook his head, "My mother is no shinobi, but she detests the larger countries. She was born in poverty in Ame. Our house is far out of the way of the war and she is too poor to be a target for anything other than bad luck. If Kotone is going to move to Konoha, and I suspect Kaori will follow her, I will also join them. Though, any income I earn can be portioned and sent to my mother, right?"

The Hokage nodded, surprised at Takumi's quick decision in the matter, but he had brought another point to his attention. "About Kaori, I haven't heard anything from her family."

Toko sighed before speaking up, "She has no family. Technically speaking, I'm her guardian though she was living with the Ueno family."

Konoha's leader and the subsequent proctors of the exams seemed surprised by this statement before Kotone took the opportunity to explain it more thoroughly: "Kaori's parents died just a few months before she graduated from the academy there. They were KIA. Kaori has been staying with my family while Takumi has been living with Toko-sensei in order to avoid the poverty streets of Ame. We are more than a team, Hokage-sama. If I move, they have to come with me."

A quick glance to Toko and the woman shrugged, "I don't have anything holding me to Ame other than my schooling having been there and you three. I would follow you here."

He smiled sincerely at the young girl and he team as he nodded in agreement. "Your team shows a strength that is unique. Though, you know you and your parents might be met with suspicion, Kotone? The Ueno clan is known for different reasons due to their divided status."

"Yes, but my father has a way of winning people over and his inventions will likely sell better here where he can trust the buyers. My mother is actually the problematic one."

"That's an understatement," Takumi mumbled.

"She retired too early is what my father always says."

Anko took the chance to laugh at the image of this mysterious woman who clearly had scarred her own daughter with her antics. Though the description was really the best explanation for Kotone's enthusiastic mother. Both of her parents retired when she was born as to prevent the risk of leaving her alone in the world much like Kaori's parents had. Takumi's description of Ame was always accurate, it cared about results, not risks. A gamble that Kotone's parents could afford to avoid with their business sales. Kaori's parents didn't have that option.

"After the exams are done will be the official transfer, but I believe your parents would prefer to move sooner rather than later. I'll try to arrange it quickly for them, but you will still fight as Amegakure genin in the final tournament. After that you'll be given Konoha symbols to replace the ones you have."

"Ah, Hokage-sama!" Kotone called as the man and the others turned to leave. "Thank you, for allowing my family and friends this opportunity. Even allowing Toko-sensei to join us. Most villages would not be so relaxed with a whole team of shinobi entering their village suddenly."

"If there wasn't a good reason and I hadn't gotten to understand your team as much, I likely wouldn't have allowed it. However, you three have something that tends to be missing in other villages, especially ones like Ame where progress is more important than anything else."

"What is that?"

With a mischievous laugh, Sarutobi turned his head to look away from them, "You have a sense of mercy. You weren't desperate enough to step on the teams in your way, instead you were respectful and acted with concerns to injury over success. That is why I'm allowing this. Clearly your teacher and your families taught you three about being considerate, a trait that is painfully absent in this world of shinobi."

Kotone bowed again in thanks, actually dipping her head low as the Konoha leader and shinobi left the room. Takumi gave a more curt bow, still feeling the frustration at his mother's decision trying to build, but for now he refrained from letting it show.

Toko pat his shoulder and sighed. "I wondered when they were going to tell you, but that was rather sudden."

"You knew?" Kotone asked as they started to trek back to the main village.

Toko nodded before she continued, "The war back home only impacts your parents because they sell some unique ninja tools, but they can avoid trouble in that. What they worry about is if something happens and there is a change in power, what the risk is to the younger generations. The shinobi who become the easiest to sacrifice or destroy on the path to progress. It could transform you bitterly or kill you. That is what they don't want for you. They had actually sent a missive when we first departed for the exams."

"T-that long ago?!"

"Mhmm. They thought they could convince Takumi's mother to join them if it was approved, but it loos like they never did. That stubbornness must be genetic."

Takumi scowled at the teasing remark, but finally let out a sigh at the thought of leaving his mother on the poor side of Ame.

"It'll be okay, Takumi. I'm sure she'll be fine, she's smart about avoiding trouble!"

Toko covered her eyes when the light breached through some trees. "The weather will take some getting used to. Takumi, when this transfer goes through, you can continue to live with me if you want."

He nodded in agreement while Kotone thought about how Kaori would take the news. Toko, suspecting her question beat her to it, "I will tell Kaori. She will also be staying with me. Your parents will have a busier lifestyle here and I've already shirked my responsibilities as her guardian for the last year."

Kotone and Takumi stared at Toko in confusion. She was rarely so nice or polite about issues, but they both realized it was likely due to the sensitive nature of the topic. Kaori would have to her parent's memorials brought over. She had already scattered their ashes, but the pictures of them were more valuable to Kaori than anything else in the world.

"Oh, about _that_," Toko started with a gentle tone, "I'll ask the you parents in a letter. In the meantime, we should have...a nice dinner."

Kotone smiled at the change in Toko's personality when the matter came up. They never talked about it specifically, it was still taboo in most situations. It remained a topic to dance around tactfully, but never say outright. However, anytime it was brought up, Toko either became a gentle individual or seemed sad. Kotone was happy this time it was the former.

"Yeah, let's get some dinner. Should we invite Kaori or is she still in the hospital?"

"We can see if they'll release her, but I think they'll want her limited to bed rest for a week since the Hyuga boy reinjured her arm."

The trio continued to chat until they reached the hotel again to change and clean up. They were going to enjoy a night without worry in honor of the other original teammate; Jin.

AN: So, this and the last chapter were originally one really long one, but I realized it got a bit tiring to read everything all at once. I know it's been a while but I am happy to report that as of recently I am completely healthy, all my tests came back okay! I'm hoping now that I have more time I can write more often! Hope to see another chapter here soon!


	7. Training to Fight My Friend

When Rain Falls: Chapter 7 – Training to Fight My Friend

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Kotone took a deep breath as she jumped onto the thin rope she had set up between some trees. Toko-sensei had assumed if her or Takumi needed help with training that they'd ask, but as of yet Kotone hadn't even figured out what she intended to do. She slowly dipped into a full split before leaning back to reach for the foot behind her. She was glad she had opted to forgo her jacket which would have gotten in her way.

She closed her eyes and took deep breaths in order to relax. It had been a while since she had taken the opportunity to meditate and the weather in Konoha was far more accomidating than Ame's constant downpour.

"_Fighting Takumi, eh?" _Kotone's mind started to drift toward the source of her troubles. She had promised the Hokage they would take this fight earnestly despite being not only from the same village, but being on the same team. They were friends who had endured a lot over the last three years. _"He knows my tricks and tactics. What can I do that he won't see coming?"_

Kotone shifted herself back up, remaining in the split position, before leaning forward toward her other foot. She opened her eyes and looked to the grass as if there was an answer in one of the many blades.

"Ahh, what should I do? I've already wasted a week," she groaned with a sigh.

"A-ah?!" a startled voice barely reached her eyes. Her olive eyes quickly found the source of the voice and was surprised to see Hinata.

"Hinata?" Kotone called out to the girl was frozen in surprise. Clearly Kotone was somewhere she wasn't supposed to be for her to be that startled. "Ah, is this your training ground area?"

Hinata seemed to calm herself before she spoke, "Y-yes. I didn't expect to s-see you here."

"I'm sorry! I was just trying to get a little meditation in before the month is up. I didn't realize this spot was already claimed, I'll just clean up and be on my way!"

"N-no! It's okay. I c-can't train right now," Hinata managed to get even quieter and was twiddling her fingers nervously.

Kotone arranged herself so that she was just sitting on the rope with her legs dangling. The slits in her black dress allowed her thighs to sneak past the fabric, though her fishnet shorts kept it from being too revealing. She sat in silence opposite Hinata before she gestured to the spot next to her.

"Do you at least want to sit down?"

"A-ah, I'm okay here."

"Hinata, you should be resting right?"

The girl blushed and nodded before sitting next to Kotone on the rope. She initially struggled to maintain enough balance, but after a few minutes she got it.

"How are you doing since the preliminaries? Is your heart okay?"

Hinata nodded before taking a breath to explain, "I just have t-to be careful for a while."

"Ah," Kotone nodded at the good news. "Did you hear that my little teammate Kaori ended up fighting Neji too?"

"E-eh!?"

"She lost as well, but she was pretty badly injured before she went in. Still, she gave it a good shot and even landed a few hits to keep him away! He was pretty surprised at that!"

Hinata let out a light giggle at the thought of the ever untouchable Neji Hyuga being surprised.

"But, he blocked the chakra in her injured arm. Kaori is very sensitive to the flow of chakra in her body so without it, plus the new damage he did, her injury must have felt pretty horrible. I'm glad she surrendered before it got worse."

"Y-you mean she surrendered?"

Kotone gave short nod, her eyes turning downcast. "Neji has more skill than Kaori at this point in time and she was injured before their fight. It was good of her to try, but he got the upper hand. Had she continued, she might've risked doing similar damage to her legs or her other arm. She doesn't quite have her own fighting style mastered yet, but she'll get there as long as she allows herself to recover!"

"You r-really believe in her."

Kotone recognized that Hinata had made a statement, not a question, but she nodded in response anyways. "I believe anyone can improve with the right training. The issue is that the right training might not be a teacher can offer so much as what you might discover for yourself. I can't really be guided in my fighting style, but I can learn other important things and bring them together to improve myself. Well, I guess that's not entirely true, my mother helped me a lot when I started out. She uses chakra threads so the basic principle is the same as my wires. Oh! You didn't get to see my match!"

Hinata shook her head, but smiled gently at Kotone's relaxed disposition. "You're very nice, K-Kotone-chan."

"Haha! I just try to be a person people can rely on. I didn't have many friends back in Ame, but Takumi and Kaori became very important to me. Toko-sensei too, but she can have quite the temper." Kotone huffed in defiance at the memories of her teacher getting frustrated with her.

Hinata hopped off the rope after a few minutes of silence and walked away from Kotone, but she turned and stated how she wouldn't tell Kurenai-sensei. Kotone smiled and waved to Hinata before she got down too.

A thought struck Kotone as she untied the rope. "Ah! That's it!"

* * *

Takumi let out a huff as he scribbled out a few ideas. "It had to be Kotone."

Toko flipped a page in her book as Takumi continued to struggle in coming up with strategies. She knew they were both likely enduring the same troubles. How does one fight a teammate and expect to win when they know all their secrets? She raised an eyebrow when he crumpled an entire sheet of paper and threw it away.

"I'm about ready to find that Shikamaru kid and just ask him. He would at least see it objectively."

Toko nodded, never taking her eyes off her book. "You could, if you think he has the time to help you."

Takumi's shoulders slouched and he hung in head in defeat when he realized Shikamaru was likely worrying about his own training. A loud sigh escaped him and he fell backwards until he was lying down.

"Either I need to come up with something new or I'm going to get my ass whipped. Kotone has raw fighting ability that I've never been strong at."

"That's true, you are surprisingly weak next your teammates. Even Kaori can carry more weight."

"Thanks Sensei," Takumi deadpanned. She had a point, in terms of physical fitness, Kaori was probably in the best shape, then Kotone was close behind because of how fluid she was, and he was at the back of that line because he never had the proper nutrition growing up to really facilitate rigorous training. Takumi was lean and weaker than the girls on his team.

"I tried to improve your strength, you refused to listen. You kept complaining that it was dropping your IQ to do such workouts. It was for the muscle heads. Etc, etc," Toko waved a hand to exaggerate his pathetic excuses.

Takumi let out another sigh and begin to think of new designs for smoke bombs. If he could make something new that could work in three weeks then he'd have a fair ground to stand on.

"Ah, That's it!"

Toko glanced to Takumi who had pulled out a fresh scroll. A grin crossed her face as she realized he was getting spirited over the upcoming battle.

"Ah, I should visit Kaori tomorrow," Toko mumbled to herself before returning to her book.

* * *

Toko walked into the hospital calmly despite the suspicious glances she got from some of the citizen of Konoha. She hadn't expected much different since she was a jounin from another village. It was only fair to be met with some suspicion, though she was grateful that it came in minimal amounts.

"Ah, Toko-san," the nurse greeted with a familiar smile, "here to visit Kaori-chan again?"

"Yes. Her teammates don't want my help for the final rounds so I can at east visit my loyal pupil," Toko shrugged, her usual attire consisting of a leotard that ducked into for fitting pants. Her hip bones peeking from the space between the two pieces of attire.

The nurse laughed as she lead the woman to her student's room. She almost let out a sigh of relief at finding Kaori where she belonged with the incidents she had endured earlier in the week.

"Toko-sensei!" Kaori smiled enthusiastically in greeting.

"How's your arm?" Kotone pulled a chair closer to Kaori's bed before reclining into it.

Kaori shifted the sling in a testing roll of her shoulder, a proud smile moving across her face. "It's healing quickly! Now that my chakra is flowing through my arm it feels a lot better. The doctors were saying I had an absurd ability to feel my own chakra in my body."

Toko chuckled at the thought of a doctor just staring over the results of their tests and not believing they came from a young girl like Kaori. In terms of chakra awareness and sensing, Kaori was unmatched by anyone of a chunin level or lower most likely. _"Not that she needs to know that until she can control her chakra better_,_"_ Toko thought with a glance to the side.

"How are Kotone-chan and Takumi-kun?" Kaori asked with lit up eyes. It didn't bother her that they had only visited once in the week. She knew they needed to prepare for the finals and she'd be out of the hospital in a few more days as long as she can resist training until after the final matches.

"Ah..." Toko let out a sigh before explaining. "They're both unable to see the other as their opponent, not their friend and teammate. It seems like both of them got an idea last night though. I saw Takumi stumble upon his, but when Kotone came back to the hotel she seemed happy."

"That's great!"

Kaori nodded and an awkward silence fell over the two. Toko never took her pine toned eyes off her youngest student. She was in the hospital provided pajamas and her black hair was let down. Her dark blue eyes hesitated to meet her sensei's gaze.

"About what we discussed last time. It will take some getting used to, but –"

Kaori interrupted her teacher with a gentle smile, "I understand. I was just surprised at all the changes, but I'm sure I can get used to calling this village home! And thank you for offering to share your home."

Toko nodded, but her eyes caught the uncertain twitch Kaori was in the habit of doing when she was nervous. She hadn't even heard of the civil war in Ame until Toko explained why they were leaving their village. The move had been approved and they were scheduled to have everything arrive just before the final match so that the Ueno family could see the final rounds. They were arranging transport for everything, not that Toko or Takumi had much to move aside from clothing.

"We'll all be here, Kaori," Toko comforted with a soft pat to the girl's head.

Kaori smiled again, letting her uncertainty show this time, but she agreed nonetheless.

* * *

Kotone panted as she rested at the end of her wire maze. Her right eye reverted back to normal after the strain she had put it through the last few days. Kaori sat a distance away reading a book since she still couldn't train for another week. Another week and it was time for their move as finals. It felt sad to Kaori that they wouldn't even get to go back to Ame. Though she saw the perks of Konoha after she was discharged from the hospital. It was livelier than Ame and the weather was nicer.

Kotone sat down as she caught her breath. She hadn't let Kaori see most of her practice, but since today was wire work she allowed it. It wasn't that she thought Kaori would tell Takumi, but rather she didn't want her to feel bad about not being able to train when Kotone was learning and mastering new skills entirely.

The real reason for Kotone's exhaustion was her practice with elemental chakra releases. Her and Toko had started to train her in controlling her chakra nature, but then they left for the exams and opted to hold off. Toko gave her a full day of instruction and sparring in order to show her the basics, but allowed Kotone to figure the rest out on her own. As she rested she heard Toko's last warning in her ears:

"_You have lightning nature chakra. It's hard to start with, but with your control it should be rather useful down the road. I don't recommend using it against Takumi if you doubt for even one second that you might lose control and seriously hurt him."_

Everyday since she had been practicing releasing small charges of lightning chakra, but she always managed to burn her hand from touching the wires. The wires her father made were constructed to strengthen with her chakra, but they had never been made to endure lightning charged chakra. Certain amounts of chakra made them snap and whip her when she did it, other times they melted or sent the charge back up her arm when she was too hesitant. Kotone sighed as she stood up and dusted herself off.

"Think we should head back for tonight?" she asked Kaori.

The girl stood up and put a finger to her lips. "Hmmm. I'm pretty hungry. Can we get some food first?"

"Oh? You want to eat without Takumi and Toko-sensei? I knew it; you've become rebellious!" Kotone teased as she cut the strands of wires at her arm plate. The threads around the trees went slack and fluttered away in the wind as delicate as hair.

The two walked through Konoha until they reached a BBQ place that had Kaori sniffing the air. They went inside and were surprised to see Shikamaru and his team, though Ino was absent, eating at a table.

"Oh! It's the girls from Ame!" his sensei greeted. The two stopped by their table and Kotone smiled in greeting, though Kaori was staring at the food more than the people.

"How are you three doing? Been training hard for next week?" Kotone asked cheerfully despite her own fatigue.

"Every day. It's such a pain," Shikamaru grumbled. He finally looked at Kotone and realized she was covered in scuffs and bruises.

"Looks like you've been training rather hard yourself! Have you and your sensei been sparring?" the bearded man asked.

"Ah, no. Because Takumi and I are paired against each other she only helps as much as we ask her to. If I ask for a day she then gives Takumi a day to keep it fair. This is from today's exercise! Right Kaori?"

The young girl was brought back to her senses and nodded with a smile. "Kotone-chan practices by balancing on things or maneuvering through a wire field!"

"Oh? Well sounds like you've had a full day. Why don't you join us?"

Choji seemed dismayed at the thought of sharing food, but he eventually consented and scooted over so that the two girls could sit.

"Are you sure? You don't have to make room for us!"

"You'll be Konoha shinobi in a week, no matter the exam results. Consider it a welcoming present!"

Kotone smiled wide and agreed, ushering Kaori to sit down. "Thank you...?"

"Sarutobi Asuma."

"You're going to be Konoha shinobi?" Shikamaru asked curiously.

"Amegakure isn't exactly the safest place to begin with for young shinobi. That paired with the state of the village right now made my parents worried. They sent a formal request to the Hokage when the exams started asking if we could move. He approved it so that we'll be Konoha citizens right after the exams, though my parents will be here to see the fights."

"What about your teammates?" Choji asked with his mouth full.

"They're moving too. Same as Toko-sensei. We are very grateful to the Hokage for allowing us this chance. Ah, Kaori are you that hungry?" Kotone's attention was pulled when Kaori snapped her chopsticks in the effort to part them with her left hand. She blushed in embarrassment and fumbled with the next pair before Choji helped her out.

"So are you ready for next week, Kotone?" Asuma asked after he ordered more meat to suit the new additions to the table.

"I think I will be. I'm having some issues with a new technique, but my father is also bringing me something that should help me against Takumi."

"Oh? A new technique?"

Kotone glanced at Kaori who was now preoccupied talking to Choji about the proper way to grill the meat.

"I'm trying to make my wire techniques stronger, at the very least make them more adaptable for situations like the preliminaries. Some opponents can indeed cut the wires if they focus enough chakra. Oh! I should watch what I say around you Shikamaru!"

"It only matters we both make it that far," he droned with his cheek resting in his hand.

"True. I could end up against Temari again if you lose."

"O-oi!"

"Oh, Shikamaru you should ask for tips in case you end up fighting that Temari!" Choji suddenly chimed in between bites. Kaori had her mouth full and was blushing at the sudden attention to their end of the table; eating like a wolf because Toko always restrained their diets to healthy meals only.

"Chew, Kaori," Kotone deadpanned.

Asuma laughed before having Kaori and Kotone order tea or water to go with their meals. The evening went on nicely with laughter and stories about the first missions Team 10 went on. Kotone could tell that Kaori's fears of moving were quickly ebbing away.

* * *

The next morning Kotone rolled over in bed as the sun blared into her room. "I don't like you right now," she grumbled at the star. Her body hurt from never taking a resting day during the last three weeks, longer if she counted the first parts of the exam. She cuddled her pillow closer and buried her eyes into the fabric in denial that it was morning. She could faintly hear Takumi get up and move about as he prepped for his own training before she fell back asleep.

Takumi looked to Kotone's door which was usually opening for her to jump in the shower, but today it stayed closed. He pulled his hair up and moved closer to her door, straining to hear anything happening. Relief slowly descended when he could make out her faint snoring. She was deep asleep, deeper than she had slept in a long time.

"Kotone isn't going to train today," Toko announced from her spot in the living room space of the hotel. Her voice scared Takumi as he hadn't noticed she was even there.

"She must have something pretty strong lined up to tire her out."

"Mmm, I wonder. Are you going to be okay without _those_ until the day of the match? You won't get to practice with them."

Takumi sighed, clearly he wanted his supplies to arrive sooner to make sure they worked like he needed them to. However, he had sent out to get them made so that they would work rather than tinker with them hopelessly.

"It should be fine. He's the best for the job, though it did cost a surprising amount."

Toko smirked at the fact the man who made Takumi's newest tools had charged him despite their close connection. It was good for business, but how heartless. She stood up and walked to Takumi, patting his shoulder. "I'm looking forward to this match. Depending on how much you two have learned we might have to adjust training routines."

The boy paled at the thought of more training after the match. If he and Kotone improved then Toko was going to advance their training even further while also catching Kaori up. With the climate being such an improvement they'd be able to train more often and Takumi could feel his muscles quake at the thought.

"Why don't you take a day off too, Takumi," Toko ordered more than asked. "It's not like you have much else to do until you get your newest inventions, right?"

"H-hey! I could train up physically! If they don't work then I'm still going to be fighting Kotone."

"Then shouldn't you ask for help? Kotone claims she doesn't want anymore help until after the match, but she did say to help you if you needed it."

Takumi sighed at the fact that he would need help to properly spar against Kotone, but he wasn't surprised that she was refusing help until after their match. She was betting on her ability to learn through endless practice and would only council help if she failed.

"Okay, let's go train."

Toko led Takumi to a training field that was permitted for their use before she started his intensive physical training. If he wanted to be able to fight against his white hair teammate, he needed to get stronger physically. She pulled arm and leg weights out of her supply pack.

"Do you just carry those around, Toko-sensei?"

"Usually Kaori uses them."

Takumi nearly collapsed to the ground when she let go of his wrists with the weights on. It didn't surprise him that Kaori was able to wear them without trouble given her surprising physical strength.

"Okay, strike this tree 100 times." Toko patted the padding on the trunk with a smirk.

"Is this really how you train Kaori?"

"No, Kaori I throw rocks and logs at so she can react to them. The panic state that puts her in is better for her to learn control in tense situations. You just need to hit this tree 100 times with each arm and leg. After that we can move on to squats and then I'll spar with you until your understanding of taijutsu improves."

"I have a week, Toko-sensei."

"Had you asked in the first place we would've have more time. I don't coddle you and Kotone because I know you two will ask for help when you really need it. Kotone progresses in massive amounts on her own, it's true, but you focus on your toys instead of your ability to fight. Until now, it's never been a real issue, but I always expected a day to come when you'd need to finally catch up. There will be times when your opponent will know how to fight you, and the best thing you can do is surprise them with the opposite of what they expect."

Takumi nodded after his sensei finished her light scolding. For the last three years with Toko-sensei he hadn't ever met her standards to fitness and the like, but with his fighting style revolving around genjutsu and various bombs to help him in combat it was easy to make up that loss. Especially after Kaori joined and became the muscle of the team while Kotone often trapped opponents from a distance. Their fighting styles meshed together well, but individually he wasn't prepared well at all.

Toko sighed and whistled to get Takumi's attention back on the task at hand. "You said it yourself, we don't have much time. Let's go Takumi!"

Takumi focused himself and approach the tree. He readied his stance and started his count of 100 for his right arm.

AN: So this one is a little scatter-brained in style, but with them being on the same team there wasn't going to be much overlap. I intend to have chapters that focus on Kotone, some on Takumi, some on Kaori, maybe a Toko chapter, but do keep in mind that for all intents and purposes Kotone is the "protagonist" of my fanfiction. She might become more centralized that her teammates, but I'm going to do my best to avoid them disappearing entirely. I just find that chapters like this one end up challenging to read with how much they jump around, but I also picture them like episodes as I write them; at least, I try to picture them. Anyways, please send me a review or message if you have tips for changes or notice anything odd in continuity! I'm always up for criticism!


	8. This Tournament Means More

When Rain Falls: Chapter 8 – This Tournament Means More

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Kotone and Takumi sighed as they brushed their teeth. A month of effort for this day and they were both gambling on tools they still hadn't seen. Paired with the fact that Kotone was still hesitant to fight Takumi seriously and that made for two very worn out individuals.

"Kotone-chan, Takumi-kun, shouldn't you be feeling more excited than this?" Kaori asked while leaning on the table, her chin in her hands.

Takumi spit out his toothpaste before replying, "It's just very real all of a sudden."

Kotone nodded in agreement, but continued brushing allowing her words to muffle, "Ish not wike we want to fwight. We have to."

"Gross, Kotone," Takumi recoiled before Kotone spit into the sink. They both gargled water before sitting down with Kaori and their silent teacher.

"No words of wisdom, Toko-sensei?" Kotone asked as she lifted some toast to her mouth.

The black haired woman didn't even look up from her book. She just let out a sigh as she turned the page.

"Toko-sensei," Kotone waved from across the table. "Hellooo?"

"Leave her be, Kotone. She's not picking sides and won't allow anymore questions since the match is today," Takumi explained.

"See? He knows," Toko murmured from behind the pages. It had been agreed upon when they first started to train that the last day for help was the night before. No exceptions. Kotone could have gone missing and Toko wouldn't look until the opening ceremony was about to begin.

"Boo. Anything you say would be to the both of us."

"There is no advice for the both of you. You're against different people."

Kotone made a face at her sensei when a knock at the door had her and Takumi jumping up in their rush to answer it. They tripped over each other in their efforts to open the door, but Toko stepped over them and pulled it open, almost hitting Kotone mercilessly over the head.

"Oh, Yuuto-sama," Toko greated, inviting the tall man in.

"Toko-sensei," the man bowed politely, his long alabaster ponytail dangling over his shoulder. He opened his eyes and the deeper green tone seemed to brighten when he spotted his daughter on the floor.

"Papa!" Kotone greeted while shoving Takumi away.

"Kotone, did you fall again?"

"A-again? I never fall at home!"

He nodded and placed a hand to his chin as he traveled back in time to when she was a baby, "It's true you aren't clumsy anymore, but when you were a baby you would trip over everything in sight."

The girl blushed and stood up quickly. Takumi noticed her increased excitement and started to feel a dreaded suspicion build up. He dusted himself off after getting off the ground.

"Takumi too! Don't let her bully you, Takumi. She's like her mother in that regard."

"She's like me in what regard?" an icy voice crept from behind Yuuto's large but slender figure. The woman's black hair and lightly tanned skin was opposite her husband's pale palette, with her bangs cut in a flat line with the rest pulled into a ponytail. Her bright orange eyes seemed to glow from under her ebony locks.

"Oh, honey! I was just saying that Kotone bullies people like you."

Kotone paled at her father's direct comment about her mother's behavior, but her mom just blushed and grabbed onto his arm tightly as if it was a compliment.

"H-hi mama!" Kotone started to greet before a harsh glare hit her.

"Now you wait a minute! You greet him with so much enthusiasm, but I get a stuttered hello?!"

"You surprised me is all! Plus with Dad's comment, I thought – "

"You thought? Thought what that it'd upset me? Jeez, Kotone, he's said much worse about me before and I do bully people. You especially should know that to be true," the woman's warm eyes always danced with a cool intent like she was always ready for a fight.

"Y-yeah, but if I said anything I'd get my ass kicked until I apologize," Kotone mumbled in Takumi's direction. He knew it was a true statement that Kotone's mother, Hotaru, was likely to abuse her daughter in the name of discipline. It was always with good intentions and Kotone could fight back, but the girl already endured enough abuse from Toko usually.

"What was that?"

"Nothing! It's good you and Papa have such a strong relationship!"

The two just smiled in response before Yuuto pulled two small boxes from his kimono sleeves. He preferred tradition dress to the newer fashions, and the long sleeves gave him room to store small objects that he used to lose daily. Kotone's red jacket was designed by her father to store her kunai and other tools in the billowing material with ease. Though the fashion piece was made by her mother.

"Two boxes, Papa?" Kotone tilted her head in confusion only to realize Takumi was scratching his cheek, a gesture he only did when he was avoiding trouble. "Y-you asked my dad to make you something?!"

"You asked him to make you something!" Takumi rebutted.

"He's my dad! Of course I'm going to ask him! He made my entire arsenal!"

"Exactly! Who else could I trust with the task of making my tools! Besides, at least I paid him!"

The two were glaring at each other over the silent betrayal that they had both gotten outside help from Yuuto. The older man let out a hearty laugh and passed them their boxes. "I was rather happy to have you both come to me for something. You both had interesting requests and they had me stumped for a few days, but I'm happy that I was needed so much."

"You didn't tell me you were making him anything when you sent your letter."

Kotone's mother sighed and bonked her daughter over the head: "Of course he didn't tell you. He didn't tell Takumi either. You had separate requests. Now, whether or not your new toys are helpful depends on what the other asked for. That's the point of this match, isn't it? To adapt to the abilities and advantages the opponent might have?"

Kotone and Takumi nodded, bowing in apology over their fight. Though the sensation that they were combatants and not partners was finally setting in to both their minds.

"Ah, Kaori-chan!" Hotaru called to happily. Kotone cringed at how politely her mother treated Kaori, but she could understand why. Her parents decided to stop after one child when Kotone immediately showed talent and had the Ueno bloodline so present in her veins. Having two children that showed the bloodline would have been chaos, especially since Kotone would have been the older sibling, the "role model."

Kaori offered her mother the chance to have the cute daughter she had once dreamed of. Her mother loved her, but Kotone took after her father more than anything, though some of her father's patrons had once said Kotone would be as beautiful as her mother when she was older. _"I wonder if that's starting to show?"_ she pondered, briefly throwing a glance to nearest reflective surface.

Her father tapped her shoulder and gestured for her to follow him outside for a moment. He remained silent until they were in the fresh air and the sun was bouncing off their pale and lengthy locks.

"Are you really going to fight Takumi as an enemy?"

"Well it's just a glorified sparring match, Papa –"

"No, Kotone. This is a chance for Takumi to show you how far he's come since you were first assigned to the same team. This is a chance for him to really fight you, but if you won't take it seriously, withdraw."

"W-what?!"

Her father smiled gently at her and placed a hand on her head, her hair still not braided for the day. "You don't want to hurt your teammate, but I know what you both had me make for you. You have some new tricks that could win this match, and so does Takumi if you don't take him seriously. Don't insult him by not giving it your all."

"I know it would bother him, but it's hard to see him as an opponent and not just Takumi."

"It's times like this that I know your mother and I must have done something right to have such a considerate daughter. However, the shinobi world is full of confusion and allies turning against one another. If that day ever comes, you have to be ready to fight them with the intent to capture or kill. You know this to be true," her father's voice was soft and gentle, just like his eyes. Kotone could see the conflicting feelings she saw when she first asked to go to the academy. She was strong, but the world was full of darkness that she tended to ignore.

She took a deep breath and nodded, "I will try to fight Takumi seriously. It might take a few punches into the fight, but I'm sure that he's not going to go easy on me."

"Good girl," her father rubbed her hair more viciously this time, tangling strands on top of her head.

"P-papa!" Kotone scolded before running inside to have her mother fix it. Hotaru gave her husband a dark glare as she brushed her daughter's long mane before braiding it like she always had.

In a rare gentle moment between the two women, Kotone's mother whispered, "Good luck today, Kotone." A gentle kiss was placed to the back of her head and Kotone nodded, a gentle look crossing her face. For all the chaos her mother brought, she really did love her.

"Kotone, we need to go!" Takumi shouted from the door prompting Kotone to buckle her wire gauntlets and throw on her maroon jacket which was now supplied with her new tools.

She waved to everyone before running out the door with Takumi. They reached the stadium and immediately spotted some of the other competitors entering the arena.

"Oi! Shikamaru!" Kotone called out as she trotted up to him. He was surprised that her and Takumi were traveling together, but he knew their team was rather close after the impromptu dinner she and Kaori had with his team the other night.

He gave a brief wave, "Kotone. Takumi. All this for the Chunin Exams," he said with a lazy tone. Kotone caught how little he actually wanted to endure this, but he had shown up. She could respect the fact that he was willing to commit to this challenge.

"It's nice that people can bond over children sparring, don't you think?" Kotone grinned wide causing him to smirk in response. Even Takumi let out chuckled despite his desire to resist being friendly until after their match. He had to focus on getting through the fight first.

"Oh, I don't see Naruto or Sasuke," Kotone pointed out as they stopped in the center of the stadium floor, waiting for the others. Shino, Neji, and the three sand siblings were already there, but the members of Team 7 and the one Sound ninja were missing.

"What are they thinking being late today?" Takumi mumbled with a frown. A quick glance between the two strategists and Kotone realized they were thinking the same thing, just Takumi had verbalized it.

The stadium was quickly filling up at Kotone could feel the eyes on her because of her bloodline. The Ueno clan was mostly nomadic, rarely aligning itself with any village so she was like a rare treat dangling before them.

"Who would've thought you'd be so famous," Temari called out to Kotone, a smirk on her face. "I didn't realize I was fighting a rare bloodline a month ago."

"Ah, rare might be a stretch. As far as I know the Ueno clan is rather large, just scattered. Besides, my bloodline isn't nearly as exciting at the Uchiha or Hyuga, I'm sure everyone will get bored watching my match."

"I don't know about that. Unless you don't have the will to strike down your opponent cause he's your teammate, that is."

Kotone and Temari had a brief glaring challenge before the lighter haired girl put her palms up, "I rose to the challenge last time. I think I'll manage to do it again."

"Oh?" Takumi voiced, a coy smile growing on his face. He could hear the prideful bluff in his teammate's voice. "I look forward to our match, then, Kotone-chan."

The honorific he added made Kotone cringe. Takumi only called her that when they first became teammates and hadn't developed a friendship yet. He was trying to distance himself from their current friendship, something that was painstakingly earned on Kotone's part. Takumi was like many Ame children, bitter and restful of those with natural talent. When he met Kotone as his teammate, he hated her because she was Ueno, but with her constant efforts they had become friends who could be critical of each other without hurting the others feelings.

"I admit that you can fight," Temari finally said with a sigh. Her competitive stare met Kotone's surprised eyes. "I want a rematch. One where neither of us underestimates the other and goes all out."

Kotone smiled and looked up at the audience that was near full, "I dunno about that. You seem like you're scary when you're angry."

Temari just smirked and went back to minding her own business, though Kotone thought she caught a something negative in her eyes before she turned away. The snowy hair girl didn't have much time to consider it as Naruto slid into the stadium at that moment panicking about bulls chasing him.

She applauded him with a smile, "Way to show up in style!"

Takumi sighed at his teammate's behavior, but Kotone tried to make friends when the opportunity arose and Naruto seemed to be the same. He could see why they'd get along, but he wondered if she considered that they might end up fighting if she won. _"We haven't even started and I'm assuming she'll win_,"Takumi thought bleakly.

The proctor held up the new line up due to the disappearance of Dosu. Takumi and Kotone shared a glance wondering what would make someone get this far only to withdraw. However, the silently made their way to the waiting room with the other contestants.

"Naruto is up first against the Hyuga, eh?" Takumi murmured.

"Don't think he can do it?" Kotone asked, a gentle smile on her face as she stared at the orange clad boy.

"Actually, I hope he does. I used to believe in a disbalance of fate like Neji does, but I hope Naruto can show him that it is hard work that matters."

"How unusually sympathetic of you, Takumi. But I agree. I'm just curious if he can do it! We haven't seen much of his potential."

Shikamaru sighed and leaned against the railing, his hand cradling his chin. "Naruto was never good at anything in the academy. He failed the graduation exam a few times too. But he kept saying how he'd be Hokage one day."

"Haha! I wish Ame kids were that motivated."

The match started in favor the Neji. He had more discipline, it was true, but Naruto refused to back down. Even when his chakra points were all sealed by Neji's 64 palm rotation. However, Kotone and Takumi weren't prepared for the darker side of the Hyuga clan to be exposed at that moment.

"Takumi, did you know about this?" Kotone quietly asked him as Neji explained the mark on his forehead.

The boy shook his head, surprised as she was, "It's likely not told to people very often. It makes sense though for such a powerful clan."

"What about this makes sense, exactly? What happens when a Head Family member dies? Isn't their body capable of revealing the secrets of the Byakugan?"

"That's true, but the job of the Branch Family is likely to prevent that from happening, or to retrieve the body if it does. It's a safety mechanism that keeps outsiders from the secret, but the price of that is the inequality forced upon Branch Family members. I'm not saying I agree, but I can understand why it exists."

"It's sick," Kotone whispered. Shikamaru and Takumi were the only ones close enough to hear her and neither disagreed.

Takumi knew of the cruelties of the world having been raised in poverty. Every meal was precious for his mother and him when he was a kid. Fortunately, schooling was completely free in Ame because why waste a potential resource by letting it die on the streets. Kotone grew up in a comfortable, borderline wealthy, home with loving parents. Even Kaori lived a nice lifestyle before her parents passed away. It didn't mean the two girls didn't understand it, but they refused to believe it was required.

"W-what is that?" Takumi gasped as Naruto started to release a red and sinister chakra.

"What the hell – ?" Kotone's eyes widened at the sudden flux in power. _"How was he hiding this?!"_ she wondered while keeping her eyes on him.

The speed of the fight was suddenly increased, making harder to track their movements exactly, but they were always visible. Right until their final clash.

"Oh?" Kotone asked, silently activating her kekke genkai to look at Naruto's unconscious form. She could barely see it, but the edges of a hole peeked out from under his figure. Honestly, without the angle from the balcony she likely wouldn't have seen it, but Naruto wasn't done yet.

"Is that the limit?" Takumi asked before Naruto landed a solid punch from under Neji.

Kotone let her right eye return to normal with a grin spreading across her cheeks, "I didn't think so."

Even Takumi let out a chuckle at the way Naruto won, his nails bleeding from digging the hole. It was a clever way to win given the circumstances and Neji really didn't think he could lose.

"Well, what do you know?" Takumi shrugged. "Guess Neji will have to learn that life isn't as simple as fate and destiny."

"Hopefully he gets the peace of mind he needed."

Naruto paraded himself around few a minutes before he joined everyone else in the waiting area. Kotone high-fived Naruto. Though the happy congratulations were quickly quelled by the fact that Sasuke still hadn't arrived and the crowd clearly came to see the last Uchiha fight.

"He'll be here, right Naruto?" Kotone asked curiously. She hadn't gotten a good grasp of Sasuke's personality yet, but the way he fought made it seem like he was desperate to prove himself to someone. Surely he wouldn't just quit.

"Don't worry, he'll be here for sure!"

"The rules say that if he doesn't show up for his match, he's disqualified," Takumi reminded them. "But will they stick to that with how the crowd is reacting?"

Sure enough, they postponed Sasuke's match to give him time to arrive. They would go last, meaning Kotone and Takumi were closer to fighting. Especially when Kankuro forfeited before even getting in the ring with Shino. A decision that made Kotone feel nervous. The Suna boy was stubborn and standoffish, but it was like the match didn't matter.

"_Something's not right. First Temari seemed distracted and now Kankuro is give up before getting in the ring. I don't like this,"_ her mind started to race. There wasn't much merit to him quitting, but it also seemed like the audience only cared that they weren't being entertained.

Temari quickly entered the ring when it became apparent that it was her a Shikamaru.

"You wanted a piece of advice? Don't get hit," Kotone quickly warned before Naruto practically pushed him from the balcony.

"Did you intend for that advice to have multiple meanings? Or did Naruto surprise you?" Takumi asked, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips.

"You should know that answer."

Kotone had to admit she was surprised at Shikamaru's reflexes compared to Temari's attacks. The fan had to weigh a lot and could only be swung so fast, but she attacked him while he was still laying on the ground. For him to get to kunai into the wall and be on them in the short time it took a dust cloud to dissipate was impressive.

"Oh, the motivation is gone," Kotone noticed as Shikamaru stopped moving to look at the sky allowing Temari to land her wind art on him, though it allowed him the opportunity to use his shadow possession jutsu and scare her a safe distance away.

"He's planning something," Takumi recognized the look in Shikamaru's eyes when he came out of his stance.

Kotone's brow furrowed at Temari's increased power, but Shikamaru seemed comfortable in his position despite the constant blusters she sent his way. He was getting to her mentally though by hiding. Though, she put a finger to her chin as a thought crossed her mind, "What's he going to do when he catches her?"

Takumi nearly fell over at the question, but he did realize there was a good point to her question. Unless he could catch her in a spot like his opponent in the prelims, there wasn't much merit to just chasing her with his shadow.

"Oh?" Kotone grinned when the shadow ducked into the hole Naruto left behind.

"Good use of the battlefield's conditions," Takumi agreed though he was clearly a little upset that Shikamaru was proving to be smarter than he was.

"Still, what is he going to do now that he's got her? I don't know know what to expect."

Takumi and Kotone both leaned on the railing in curiosity, wondering what Shikamaru would do as his final move.

"Good grief. I give up," he finally declared.

Kotone could resist laughing at his decision to surrender. Takumi nearly punched her because he felt it was a waste of the tactics, but the decision had some sense once Shikamaru explained he was out of chakra for anything else.

"I wouldn't consider it a loss on his part, though," Kotone finally came off her laughter, "he outwit his opponent and caught her in his jutsu. That's worth merit."

"Why the heck did he give up?! This ticks me off," Naruto shouted as he hit the railing.

Kotone giggled at the display when he jumped down to scold Shikamaru before being reminded that there was another match to watch. Takumi and Kotone hopped down, the former waving at them until they returned to the waiting room.

The proctor glanced between the two, the crowd had interest in the fight. However, he was having issues deciding if both had the same level of intention with the battle.

He called for the fight to begin and Kotone activated her kekke genkai immediately before she jumped to the trees. She was quick to lay her wires in a chaotic field that way Takumi wouldn't be able to predict the pattern and cut it blindly. She stood at the end of her field, a smile on her face.

"Well, Takumi?"

He sighed before pulling out three small bombs. Kotone used her right eye to magnify them, surprised that they were smaller in size than usual. It must be the ones her father made because Takumi didn't have the talent or the tools to make the smallest ones yet, they were too small and his fingers fumbled.

"That's not a challenge you should be starting, Kotone. Not when you won't take me seriously," he said coldly before throwing one of the bombs above her, the other two to her sides. Kotone smirked and pulled out a mask, a tool that caught Takumi off guard.

"D-don't tell me –!"

"This is what I had him make! I won't be going to sleep anytime soon!" she proudly said before moving to dodge the full blast of smoke. Her eyes went wide, however, when her right eye started to burn, having been the only open eye when she moved through the smoke, trying to keep Takumi the focus of her kekke genkai. If he moved she would've seen it, but something was wrong.

She stopped before the end of her wire field and braced a hand to her right eye, the pain swimming in the small sphere.

"W-what the hell did you do?!"

"I knew you'd predict every movement I made with that kekke genkai of yours. The ability to figure out where your opponent will move based on the smallest of muscle twitches that you can only see with that magnifying jutsu. That, and now you're trapped in your own web of wires. Can you confidently maneuver through them without the ability to see them?" Takumi smirked before grabbing more bombs. He couldn't charge in there, he had to smoke her out.

The crowd was cheering at Takumi's short work of her bloodline limit.

Her breathing was ragged behind the mask, but she knew it'd at least protect her against his genjutsu, the only real threat she thought he had. Even disabling her kekke genkai didn't prevent the pain and she had to keep her eye closed because of the irritation.

"That's what you meant by not being serious, eh?" Kotone murmured. Takumi threw another bomb as Kotone jumped up and out of her field. She could sense the open path with her chakra, but Takumi's bomb caught her by surprise due to her now limited peripheral range. "Shit!"

She missed the brunt of the blow, but she could hear her shirt burning. A few drops of the liquid in the bomb made her skin burn. Realizing the cause she rapidly stripped her jacket off and threw it. Takumi had her father make an acid bomb. He had designed the specs for it weeks ago, but he didn't have the materials. Plus testing it was out of the question.

Kotone was panting. She released the wires from her field, half of them having been dissolved by the acid. She closed her left eye and focused. She could control the wires without trees or tools. She just had to focus. Takumi was charging at her and in her efforts to focus he landed a strong kick, knocking her into the air. Once Kotone was up, she flipped and extended her arms. Her wires darted all around Takumi, snaring him in a much more random field, even cutting his cheek because she couldn't see the wires for more than a second before they were too far for her normal eye.

She landed on the ground a few feet away, her black dress rising and falling over her chest as she panted. The fishnet stretching from her collarbone to her neck. She crouched to move when Takumi readied more bombs.

"What surprises are in these ones, Takumi?" Kotone challenged, finally unleashing her speed to dodge them expertly and leave herself in a position to see the next one. It wasn't until he hid one in the shadow of the other that Kotone took another hit. This time by a bomb that froze her right wire gauntlet solid.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She clawed at her arm, desperate to free the machination that allowed to release wires, but it wasn't budging.

"Don't forget, Kotone. All it takes is enough chakra and these strands will snap," Takumi explained, cutting a path for himself. "You still won't take me seriously?"

"You want me to take you seriously?" Kotone's eyes were growing wild and with the mask present her face must have looked frightening because Takumi took a step back. "Then let's end this!"

She charged at Takumi, her speed frightening as she aimed a kick to his chest. He deflected her attack and went to punch her, but Kotone stopped it. Surprised when the hit actually hurt to grab. _"He trained his physical strength?"_ Kotone realized how much effort he had put into preparing. While she hadn't slacked off, she knew Takumi was fighting to prove he could stand next to her and not trail behind her. He had been working hard and she assumed he'd come with the same old tricks.

She grunted and dodged another strike before landing a strong kick to his chest, sending him crashing into the wire field. Another frost bomb exploded under Kotone, trapping her in her place. _"He must've dropped it when I landed my hit. Smart as always,"_ Kotone felt bad about her plan, but it was the only way to show she was taking it seriously. She had had her father prepare one other thing for her to help in case she needed it.

Takumi was getting up and reading another bomb, but Kotone quickly stretched out her right arm. Takumi froze in place, his eyes wide as his arms twitched in retaliation.

"B-but your guantlet is frozen. H-how are you –?" Takumi groaned out.

The chakra threads became very apparent as Kotone focused extra chakra to hold the control. "You forget my mother is a puppet master. What do you think training with her entails?" Kotone asked with a smile. "Sorry, Takumi. I didn't think you'd have so many new tricks so I underestimated you, but that time is up."

Takumi's eyes widened when she extended her left arm, he could hear the wires rapidly crossing the distance, they were moving so fast. They wrapped around his wrists and ankles, effectively trapping him in place.

"N-now what? We're both stuck," he joked, unsure where Kotone was heading with this.\

"Well we could wait until I thaw or you find a way to break free," Kotone finally released the chakra threads with her right hand, though the strain of using them was apparent. "But I'm not that patient."

She made the hand signs and her left hand glowed with lightning chakra. Kotone smirked, "Charged wires!" Takumi's eyes widened in surprise when he realized she was actually going to do it. Her left hand grabbed the threads from her gauntlet and she sent the charge toward her teammate. He cried out in pain as the lightning shocked his extremities. It wasn't enough to kill or do serious harm, just enough to deter him from moving for a while.

Takumi slumped against the wires, though still conscious. Kotone shivered as she placed her chaged hand against the ice forcing it to break, but exposing her to the breeze.

"What do you say, Takumi? Do you give up?" Kotone traveled toward her teammate.

A light chuckle came from him, and he smiled and nodded, "Proctor! I surrender, please call the medics."

Kotone let her wires fall, but she caught and freed Takumi first.

"How did the wires not melt or burn?" he asked as the medics placed him on a stretcher.

"I didn't only ask him for the mask. He makes my wires, I just asked him to make them stronger against electricity. I couldn't risk really hurting my teammate, could I?"

"Just wash out your right eye with water. Be happy you had your left eye closed or you would've been blind."

The crowd was cheering loudly over their conversation. Takumi lifted a thumbs up as the medics carried him away. She looked at her otherwise ruined jacket and opted to have a medic quickly treat the small burn on her arm from the acid.

"Kotone-chan! That was great! I didn't know you were so fast!" Naruto cheerfully greeted as he and Shikamaru came down to congratulate her.

"Well, I typically don't have to move that fast, but Takumi wanted me to fight seriously," she rubbed at her right eye while trying to pacify Naruto.

Shikamaru tossed her a bottle of water, something she almost missed catching. She immediately poured the liquid into her eye, relishing in the relief that came with it.

"I meant you for you drink it, but that works," he teased.

"Ah, sorry, my right eye is more important than hydration."

"Oh! That's right, explain your eye! It's like the Sharingan or Btyakugan?!" Naruto prodded.

"No! No! It's not that great. Here, let me show you," Kotone said before performing the handsigns. Naruto and Shikamaru, and a slightly curious Temari, stared at her right eye as the markings appeared.

"Whoa! It changed!" Naruto's excitement was endless.

"Yep! Typically I'm too far away for someone to notice it, like during my fight with Temari. Or more accurately, when I observed Tenten's moves exactly. I can change the distance it sees at will though the farther I look the more strain it puts on my eye. The Ueno clan bloodline is this eye; the Kakudaikyou. Every Ueno with the ability to use it has white hair and green eyes, though of varying shades."

"That makes it kind of obvious doesn't it?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, but the Ueno clan is mostly nomadic. They take no sides in wars, but some are mercenaries who will fight for whoever pays the most. The jutsu isn't really desired like the Sharingan or Byakugan because it just magnifies things. I adapted it to notice small muscle spasms when someone is about to move. I dedicated a lot of time into learning how muscles move for it to work. Plus, my wires are thinner than normal, but I can see them clearly with my right eye."

"So then who made the wires?"

"My father!" Kotone smiled and tilted her head. "He retired from being a shinobi when I was born, but now he makes weapons and tools like my wires or Takumi's bombs."

Shikamaru and Naruto blanched at the realization that the last match was a fight based on her father's craftsmanship.

The crowd once again grew restless due to the absence of Sasuke. Kotone put a finger to her chin as she sensed that something wasn't right. Even Gaara seemed convinced that Sasuke would come, and that made her more feel worse. He wanted him to show up. _"Maybe he just wants to fight Sasuke?"_ Kotone considered, though it felt like a shallow reason.

It was only seconds after that thought that Kakashi showed up with Sasuke.

"Well then, shall we get back up there?" Kotone gestured to the waiting room. She stopped them at the top of a staircase when she caught sight of Gaara and two unknown shinobi. Their efforts to have him lose were met with his merciless strength.

Kotone cringed at the sounds of bones crunching and sand shifting. Even the following silence was nearly unbearable, though Gaara just moved past them as if they weren't important. Kotone remained standing while the two collapsed after Gaara was gone.

"This is the first I've seen anyone kill without hesitation like that. This isn't looking good, even for Sasuke," Shikamaru's dread carried through his voice. Kotone looked to Naruto who clearly carried concern for his teammate.

"Let's hope his training wasn't a waste then," her smile did little to soften the mood, but Kotone knew they were shaken. In Ame she had seen people commit crimes for pathetic reasons, but this was also her first time seeing something so cruel. There wasn't a chance for the two unknown shinobi.

The silence hung over them for a few moments before Shikamaru finally spoke up, referring to something that had happened the previous day.

"'I will kill you all without fail?'" Kotone repeated to herself. _"Don't tell me..."_

Kotone left the two boys and darted up the steps, standing behind Temari and Kankuro while masking her presence. She was surprised to see Sasuke's speed having passed her own and matching Lee's. Her expression remained calm though the air felt heavy between the two Sand shinobi. Even the arena seemed to be filled with tension thanks to the match. The audience didn't know how to feel when Gaara enshrouded himself in a sand orb.

Temari swore when the eye appeared above the orb. "Dammit Gaara."

The next comments affirmed Kotone's fears about the strange behavior of the sand shinobi: "He's not even abiding by the plan. He looks like he's just going to screw things up!"

Kotone's eyes slowly crossed the span between them and Shino, barely catching his shift in weight. Being so unnoticeable, much like a fly on the wall, was working well for him. Now the two of them knew something was going on.

The olive eyes were drawn to Sasuke when his left hand glowed with electricity though it was significantly more than her own ability. Kotone's was more of a charge that was spread out evenly over her hand to apply to her wires or other mediums. Sasuke's was meant to attack with the hand in a stabbing thrust.

Kotone was forced back to reality when a shiver inducing cry range out from Gaara and a disturbing looking arm forced Sasuke away. She looked to the siblings to see just what they were doing, but their fear had them paralyzed to the spot. When she turned back to the arena, feathers danced in her vision though having trained with Takumi against his preference of genjutsu, she was fast on disabling the illusion.

"Who wants to tell me the truth?" she offered firmly, her smile ever present.

Temari and Kankuro looked to her in surprise before nodding to each other and jumping to get Gaara. Kotone followed immediately, throwing herself off the edge of the waiting room. Kotone landed near Sasuke and put a hand on his shoulder.

"They're attacking the village, Sasuke," Kotone quickly informed him as Genma stepped in front of them.

Once the Suna team's sensei explained some of the finer details of their plan, he instructed them to take him away until he could be useful.

"Tch, like it's that easy –!" Kotone was prepared to follow, but Genma blocked her path. He opted to send Sasuke to chase Gaara as service to the village, but Genma eyed Kotone with uncertainty. She didn't owe Konoha anything, but she was a strong ally if she would help.

"Is your sensei nearby?" Genma asked, his eyes never leaving his opponent.

"Yes. Just up in the stands."

"Defer to her judgment."

Genma kept the Sand jonin from attacking Kotone as she jumped up to the level her sensei was on. Kaori was slumped over in the genjutsu, but Toko was waiting across from a few Sound shinobi. She activated her bloodline limit before reaching the railing.

Kotone threw her wires out as she landed behind them, tugging harshly when they were in place, dragging two of the shinobi over the bar and letting them fall the full height still tangled in the threads.

"Toko-sensei!" Kotone greeted with a smile. Her sensei narrowed her eyes and Kotone could only hear the clang of metal as her teacher deflected an enemy kunai aimed for her head.

"I was wondering where you were. Do you know what's going on?"

"The sand team plans to use Gaara for some part of the invasion. I'm not really sure what else, they were tight lipped about the matter."

Toko blocked an attack with one arm and sighed at her student. "We'll work on your information gathering skills next."

"Genma-san asked me to defer to your judgment. He sent Sasuke after Gaara alone. What do you want me to do?"

Toko landed kunai into the chest of her final opponent and looked at her student. She nodded in the direction of Kakashi and Gai, "Inform them of Sasuke's task. Maybe you can get the rest of his team to join you. I don't want you chasing them alone, Kotone. Do you understand me? Takumi is still in the infirmary getting treated and I'm not letting Kaori break the jutsu until the danger is over."

The younger woman nodded and traversed the distance quickly, using her full speed to land behind Sakura and block a would be attacker by attaching chakra threads to his body before he could get close enough to hurt her. Her only advantage was that he hadn't seen her coming, same as the other two. They had bigger targets to focus on allowing her the chance to land a few good moves.

Kakashi cut down the man and turned to Kotone. "Isn't your team over there?"

"Sasuke went after Gaara. I would like to follow, but my sensei doesn't want me to be reckless and go alone."

Kakashi nodded and called to Sakura, praising her ability to deflect genjutsu and asking her to wake up Naruto and Shikamaru. "Naruto will be delighted, it will be the first mission in a while. Be careful, it's the first A-rank since the Land of Waves."

Kotone didn't understand what happened on this mission he was referring to, but it made Sakura nervous over what their current task was.

"Go after Sasuke."

"But, shouldn't we wake up Ino and Chouji and have a larger group?"

Kotone shook her head to answer in Kakashi's stead as he defended them from Sound shinobi, "Larger groups are slower in their actions and are easier to detect by the enemy forces. Don't worry, Sakura! I won't let anything happen to you three."

Kakashi nodded though he glanced to Kotone, "Though you will make a fifth member. I'm counting on you, Kotone-chan."He summoned a ninja hound before refocusing on the enemies before him.

Kotone had to admit she wanted to call the dog cute, but Sakura getting scolded for no reason was enough for the white haired girl to avoid the issue. Kotone stood guard and deflected a kunai with one that landed on the ground near Naruto.

"Well, I'd love to stay here, but shouldn't we be going?" the older girl asked.

Kotone wasn't prepared for the ninja that appeared behind Naruto, but thankfully Gai stepped in this time. Kakashi stood in front of them and declared the mission once more. Naruto tried to question the reason, but Sakura dragged him out the hole in the wall. Kotone waited for Shikamaru and Pakkun to leave before following them, taking the rear guard spot.

"Kotone-chan," Naruto called out, "what about Kaori-chan or Takumi-san?"

"Ah, Takumi is safe and Toko-sensei wouldn't let anything happen to Kaori. My parents should also be somewhere helping, but honestly they can take care of themselves."

As she followed the others, Kotone started to leave her wires in random places. They would only serve the purpose of informing her if someone was gaining on them due to the large distance she'd be covering. It was too much for her to keep chakra in the end.

A wire went slack and Pakkun called out to the group.

"There's an eight man squad behind us. No... There are nine people following us."

Kotone was impressed with the dog's knowledge of misleading footprints and the like. He was Kakashi's ninja hound, but the intelligence coming out of the squishy puppy was hard to her to accept. Though she could picture the anger it would cause Takumi and that made her smile cheerfully.

"They're all chunin or higher probably. We'll be wiped out if they catch up," Shikamaru cursed when Pakkun informed them they were still gaining up on the five.

Kotone started to think through plans while Shikamaru explained why an ambush wouldn't work. She sighed, garnering attention from the three youngest in the group. "If they gain on us more I could leave my wires behind and find a spot nearby to maintain chakra flow through them. Without chakra constantly moving through the wires they're completely ineffective. I could sit off the path and maintain them, confusing the enemy for a few minutes, but that's the type of reckless behavior Toko-sensei would kill me for."

Shikamaru nodded and continued, "In the first place, the enemy is a special unit organized for this operation. But we have a fool, a kunoichi who's nothing special, one dog, and me with the number-one cold feet!"

"Eh? Am I not included?"

"Actually, you're an expect in laying elaborate traps and disabling the enemy, but you work best with your team, especially Takumi who uses bombs and genjutsu. It's unknown how we'd do with those wires of yours. A tactic is grasping the conditions that are there without fail and formulating an optimal plan. There's only one thing that we can do now..."

"One?" Sakura asked.

"A diversion in the guise of an ambush. One person will remain, pretend to ambush, and delay the pursuers."

"Then wouldn't that make me the prime candidate? I already thought of laying out wire traps –"

"Yet your sensei even warned against that behavior. The one who stays behind will likely die," Shikamaru finally addressed the hazard.

They all stopped on the branches of a tree, the weight of leaving someone behind hanging over them.

"I guess it has to be me," Shikamaru admitted.

Naruto and Sakura responded in shock, though Kotone could see the merit. His jutsu, if he landed it, would keep him from harm for at least a short while. She sighed before nodding in agreement.

"Though, I disagree that you have the highest chance of surviving. You used too much chakra in your fight, right?"

"Kotone – !"

"I'll stay with Shikamaru. Go get Sasuke!" Kotone ordered, ignoring the expressions on their faces. "Do you really think the two of us will lose?"

"We're counting on you, Shikamaru! Kotone-chan!" Naruto cheered before they continued.

Shikamaru sighed and looked to Kotone. She smiled at him and let out a light sigh herself. "I'm used to being told what to do by Takumi, so just tell me what you need, Shikamaru. I'll do my best."

He nodded and had her prepare a net to lay over the enemy once they caught up. If they could trap them and she could shock them like she did during her match, they might get away with this crazy plan.

Kotone waited, completely masking her presence when Shikamaru caught them in his jutsu.

"Oh, he's just a kid. To think we'd all get caught like this," the Sound shinobi grunted in disapproval.

Kotone started to weave her wires when a figure stopped in front of her. She hadn't sensed him at all, but her eyes flashed to the group where she counted only eight. "S_hit!"_ she thought when a hand pat her shoulder. She blinked in surprise and finally looked at who was in front of her. A relieved smile crossed her lips and he held a finger to his mouth to signal her to stay quiet. She watched as he released the jutsu, likely wondering where she had disappeared to for the plan when the sound nin called out to the ninth member of their team who was unconscious under the arm of the familiar face before her.

He jumped down on cue, startling both the Sound shinobi and Shikamaru. Kotone joined them, patting Shikamaru's shoulder as he watched his sensei easily defeat the small platoon. The boy fell to the ground in exhaustion and from the near death situation he was just in.

Kotone chuckled and kneeled in front of him, "Sorry to scare you. I was going to do my part, but Asuma-sama had me stay put. He stole my part if you ask me."

Asuma nodded, "You did well, Shikamaru. Kotone, thank you for not leaving him behind alone."

Shikamaru let out an exaggerated sigh and looked up at the clouds. Kotone nodded at Asuma and opted to wait with Shikamaru. The rest was up to Naruto and his team.

AN: It's twice as long as normal because I didn't know where to cut this in half. So I hope you enjoyed a longer chapter. If I changed how I was spelling Gai's name, I'm going to keep going with the one I use here, Gai. If I type this with an accidental lowercase there's little confusion, but if I accidentally type guy it could be mistaken as a random guy or shinobi in some cases. It's been both ways in the manga based on who was translating it, but either way I'm sticking with the Japanese spelling.


	9. Back to the Basics

When Rain Falls: Chapter 9 – Back to the Basics

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Thunder rumbled in the sky as the grey overtook blue. The frost haired shinobi reached for her Ame headband only to recoil at the touch. She adjusted her aim and pulled the Konoha one to her face, inspecting the unfamiliar design. A sigh passed her lips before she tied it around her forehead. No one on her team wore the protectors around their foreheads except when they were first assigned to Toko's team. She had them place the band where they wanted to based on their personalities or combat styles. Kotone usually had hers attached to the sleeve of her jacket to symbolize her caring nature, but today was like the first day she wore hers. It was a sign of respect to the village and the person who had welcomed her to it.

Another rumble passed over her new house, though it wasn't strong enough to rock the foundation. "It's going to rain," Kotone mumbled to herself as she tied the black sash of her kimono. Kaori was waiting in her doorway, the house unfamiliar to her as well. Her headband was in the same place for the same honor.

Kotone smiled at her teammate who had already attended too many funerals and gave her black hair a pat. The usual bun was in place, but her usual turquoise cover was missing. They walked down the stairs to meet up with Toko and Takumi as well as Kotone's parents. They were all strangers to the village, but the Hokage gave them a chance to escape a village that didn't respect the lives of its citizens. The leader of Ame had even allowed them to move, giving full permission to their request as he likely had for others fleeing the turbulent city.

"What a welcoming sight," Takumi said as they walked to the funeral location. His eyes were searching the sky, however, not the crowd of black clad figures with their shoulders dipped in grief or held up in pride.

Kaori's eyes watered despite her lack of acquaintance with the Hokage. She had only seen him from a distance during the Exams, but she could feel the pain of the citizens. He had died to protect his village from further harm, a quality she could mourn.

They were met with suspicion as they climbed the stairs, a justified reaction given how this day had come to be, but the people of Konoha didn't reject them. Kotone stood behind Kaori as the ceremony started, her white hair almost looking like an intruder among the rest of the crowd. The grey skies couldn't dull the bright color of her long hair, but she knew no one was paying attention to it. Everyone's eyes were either downcast or focused on the picture of a happy man in the traditional Hokage robes.

When the rain started to fall, Kotone looked up. Drops fell dangerously close to her eyes, but she was used to watching the rain. Her life had started during a storm and every important moment since was accompanied by the familiar sensation of raindrops gently landing on her. She looked at the picture of the Hokage, recalling how he had asked her about the move personally. He only spoke to her briefly, but it was obvious he was a kind man. He was a protector, much like she considered herself to be, and he gave his all to keep his home and his citizens safe. But the grief left behind weighed heavy on her heart.

Kaori had to tug on Kotone's sleeve to make her aware that is was their turns to place flowers on the grave. She pat her younger teammate's shoulder in thanks and picked up a flower. She twirled the white chrysanthemum, twisting it on the stem, admiring the beauty of the flower. She closed her eyes in a short and silent prayer, _"Thank you._" She set the flower down before moving out of the way for her parents, the rest of her team having gone already.

It would have seemed odd that they were allowed this close to the ceremony, having only just moved to the village, but the Council requested it of them as a sign of good faith on their part. They had apparently resisted the move of the entire team until they realized Kotone's father was a master weapon-smith and would provide the village his innovative tools for a reasonable cost. Because of that the Council was pacified, but the Hokage had been okay with the move from the beginning.

The rain stopped shortly after everyone laid their flowers on the table. Kotone smiled as the sun slowly peaked out from the clouds and lit up the village. It meant the time for grieving would end, just like the rain.

"Who wants lunch?" her father's voice broke the silence as they left the service. His tone was peaceful as always.

Kaori was the first to jump at the offer though Toko quickly swatted her student's head and scolded her for being too excited to eat. Kotone and Takumi stood behind the rest, a familiar silence passing between them before they joined in the fun.

A few days passed with Kotone's father establishing his shop out of the first floor of their house, but he wouldn't open until more of the construction around the village was complete. His skills at crafting were applied to repairing houses and other buildings.

"Oh, Kotone! Take this to your father, please," Hotaru called out before throwing a bento at her. She caught it with ease and nodded though her mother was focused on her stitching. With some folks home's destroyed, Kotone's mother was crafting clothing for them to wear while they remade their lives.

Everyone seemed to ease into their roles as members of the village; Takumi was helping her father by recommending materials or ways to reinforce walls to prevent future damage, Kaori was using her strength to move materials, though Toko-sensei considered it training since she had to use her chakra to lift and move the supplies without destroying them. However, Kotone hadn't been tasked with anything to do nor did people seem to know what she could help with.

She sighed as she neared her father only to hear exclamations as part of a wall was about to collapse onto some citizens.

"Shit!" She cursed before darting above the wall and using her wires to stop the crumbling. She continued to enforce the wall with wires until it was nearly covered with them.

"Good catch, Kotone!" her father's voice reached her ears.

He moved in front of the wall an examined the way her wires were holding up the stone. He tapped his chin in thought as Kotone just sat on top of the building with her chakra flowing through her wires.

"Hmmm. Takumi, what would you do here? If Kotone releases her wires the wall will crumble and fall. But she can't hold the wall for the rest of her life either."

Takumi nodded, appearing out of nowhere and examining the wall himself. "We should brace it with planks in order to give the stonemason time to repair the stone, but Kotone will have to hold the wall steady until it is braced properly."

"Think you can manage that, Kotone?" Yuuto called out to her, his green eyes glinting in the sun.

"Yeah, but Mama sent me to give you this," Kotone held up the bento with her free hand. Her father's excitement grew at the sight of food, but his daughter's cruel smirk made him hesitant.

He rubbed the back of his head as he called up to her, "You're not going to let me have that, are you?"

"Not until I can get down from here. Once the wall is braced you can eat!"

He slumped his shoulders at the method his daughter used to make the job go by faster. He'd have to personally assist in bracing the wall in order to get it done in an hour. Takumi chuckled at the way the father-daughter pair treated each other and how much Kotone was starting to resemble her mother in her actions. The last thought made him shiver in fear though.

"How's the reconstruction been going, Takumi?" Kotone asked when he joined her on the building.

He plopped down beside her and sighed. "It's a long process, but it's been nice to use my brain for something that wasn't a fight. I'm cleared to go on missions at anytime though. No thanks to someone electrocuting me."

Kotone rolled her eyes at his efforts to tease her way of winning their match. "You wanted me to be serious and I seriously trained that ability so it wouldn't hurt you too much. You burned me with acid and blinded me in one eye!"

"Temporarily! Besides, if you hadn't been so easy in the beginning you would have been fine."

Kotone laughed at his casual admittance that she could have dodged everything if he hadn't caught her off guard. It could have been a very short battle for him whose success rode on being in the rear.

"Though you can throw a punch! I'm so proud!"

"Oi! Don't treat me like I'm that weak," he said though his thoughts went back to how sore he had been during his extensive fitness training with Toko. He had nearly cried from the later challenges he had to complete once he finished the basics.

"Have you seen Kaori at all today? I know Toko-sensei was using this opportunity to train her in a more relaxed atmosphere, but they didn't drop by the house today."

Takumi shook his head. "I saw her yesterday when she brought us a lot of the materials for the stonemason. Apparently she had to shatter a fallen wall so it could be safely removed from the area. I think she's getting the hang of her explosive chakra release, though my understanding is that she doesn't actually make contact with her target anymore."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"When Toko-sensei told her to observe the Hyuga's fighting style, the Gentle Fist, Kaori got an idea. Part of her issue was that she was trying to release her chakra at the exact moment of contact with her target. If she missed, her chakra backfired because she didn't have the touch to tell her to let it out. So now she releases her chakra before she can hit the target, causing massive physical damage with the vibrations of her chakra being released in a wave."

"So she can shatter my bones when she misses? Fantastic," Kotone deadpanned. The two laughed at the terrifying nature of their teammate's ability and how she was physically the strongest. She also dominated in close combat meaning that all their efforts to defend her for being young were likely hindering her.

"Kotone!" her father's voice called out, "Release your wires, we need to see if this will hold the wall until it can be repaired."

Kotone stood up and cut the wires with her chakra, waiting to see if there was any shifting among the stone. When it remained solid and in place, she smiled and jumped down.

"Now you can eat!" Kotone teased as she handed her father the bento.

Some of the nearby villagers chuckled at the dynamic. Some even teased Yuuto, "Oooh! Your wife makes you handmade bentos? Lucky!"

He blushed and rubbed his neck, "She knows I'd starve without one! Though it's my daughter that reminds me of that fact when she makes me finish my work first!"

The group erupted into laughter, even Kotone and Takumi joining in. Konoha had already shown it had more than Ame in the actions of the villagers alone. The suspicion died almost immediately after her parents offered their abilities to help. They were initially refused until Yuuto caught a panel that had fallen off a window, preventing a villager from getting hurt, and Hotaru had stitched a young boy's clothing on the street. After that they were treated as newcomers to the community, still kept at a short distance, but slowly being embraced.

"Oh, Kotone, have you eaten?"

She shook her head, her braid shifting at the movement. "Not since breakfast."

Her father pulled out some money which she tried to refuse, but he pushed it into her hands. "You should go get some food. I'd tell Takumi to go with you, but he just ate before you got here. Maybe one of your new friends could go!"

Kotone waved as she walked away from her father and Takumi. She put her hands behind her head and let out a sigh. She remembered Toko's words to her after the invasion was stopped:

"_Seems like you've made a large amount of progress. While I catch Kaori and Takumi up to your level, you should train as you see fit. Don't think I won't notice if you slack off, Kotone." Toko's dark green eyes pierced through her._

"I'm not sure what I want to train next, though," Kotone mumbled to herself before she heard Naruto shouting from a ramen shop.

"Oh! Welcome!" the owner greeted from behind the counter.

Kotone smiled, but stopped when she caught sight of Naruto in his underwear waving his pants around. Her face deadpanned as he blushed in embarrassment.

"Ah, sorry about him! Naruto get dressed!" the owner went from apologetic to angry with impossible speed. Kotone laughed it off and took a seat next to Naruto, placing the money her father gave her on the table.

"Is this enough for two bowls?"

"That's enough for more than that," the owner replied with a smile.

"Naruto, order what you want. My treat," she smiled at the blonde boy. Naruto's blue eyes lit up as he rapidly ordered his usual while Kotone had the owner surprise her.

"Thank you, Kotone-chan! Itadakimasu!"

Kotone stared in awe at how fast Naruto ate. She chuckled before eating at a much slower, and likely safer, pace. Naruto finished eating before she did and he turned to her.

"Say, Kotone-chan. I thought you were from Amegakure?"

Kotone paused the chopsticks just before her mouth. "That's right. My parents sent a letter requesting to move to Konoha because Ame isn't in a very good state right now. It was already a hard village to live in, too small to have a Kage lead it, and a number of citizens live poverty there. However, the Hokage granted us permission and even let my team come with! Konoha has already proven itself to be more inviting!"

Naruto blinked at her a few times before approaching a tender question, "Your parents are here, but what about Takumi-san and Kaori-chan?"

Kotone sighed and made eye contact with the boy. "Takumi's mother chose to stay in Ame despite her situation there. It is her home. Kaori's parents..." she paused, uncertain if it was fair to inform Naruto of this.

With another breath, Kotone finally finished her sentence, "Her parents died just over a year ago, before she graduated from the academy."

Naruto and the owner of the ramen shop were surprised by the admission. While Kaori had never eaten there, it was a detail about someone that wasn't commonly revealed.

"B-but Kaori-chan is always so happy!" Naruto protested.

"Yes, she is. Her parents taught her to be a kind and caring girl so she looks for the good in everything. It was hard for her to move, but she's got a nice memorial set up for them in Toko-sensei's house where her and Takumi live."

Naruto stared at Kotone who had a relaxed expression on her face, her eyes softer than he had seen them before. He nodded, understanding Kaori a little better.

"My parents too," Naruto revealed, "I never knew them, but I bet they'd want me to do the same!"

Kotone smiled at him and rubbed his hair. "Of course they would!"

The owner was impressed with Kotone. Her personality was so open despite her being in a new home, one that had just endured an invasion no less. He smiled at the pair as Kotone finished her meal. She complimented the ramen after finishing, and the owner gave her and Naruto second servings.

"Naruto, you're going to continue training after this right?" he asked.

Naruto stared at the older man before thanking him. Kotone was just surprised at the second helping being given away. The memory of people fighting over food in Ame flashed in her mind and she smiled at the bowl.

"Kotone? Are you okay?"

She started to eat the second serving when another person entered the store.

"Oh? You really do only eat ramen!" a voice teased.

Kotone and Naruto turned to see a white haired man with red lines beneath his eyes.

"Oh! Pervy-sage!" Naruto accused.

"Pervy-sage?" Kotone asked, her eyebrow raised.

The white haired man quickly covered Naruto's mouth and waved to Kotone.

"No! No! He's just joking!"

Kotone glanced between the two figures before squiting at the older man. "Suspicious."

"Eh?!"

Naruto nodded after breaking free from his grasp. "Right?! Kotone-chan can see it too?"

"Mmhmm. A very suspicious person has appeared."

"Oi! Don't talk about me like that when I'm right here! Besides, I have a mission for you, Naruto."

Naruto waved goodbye to Kotone before following the man out of the shop.

"Well, I guess I'll have to find something to do today!"

"You're not going to train?" the owner asked her.

"Ah. I really should train, I just don't know what to do for training. My sensei is trying to catch my teammates up so she can't help me currently."

"Why not go through the basics? It seems like everyone is worried about learning something new, but reviewing the basics can help just as much."

Kotone blinked at the owner before realizing there was truth to his advice. When she had done her balancing training before the tournament she was sore the next day. Konoha had weather that allowed her to do more outdoor training including her wire working.

"The basics, huh?" Kotone thought hard about the basics. It had been a while since she had practiced simple things, but she knew the owner had a point. Everyone was always looking for the next best jutsu or technique.

She left the shop in contemplation over what basics were useful to her current tactics. Surely some had been tossed out the window over time. It wasn't until she bumped into something that Kotone realized she had walked for a while.

"Oi!" the loud voice Kotone had heard during the Chunin Exams called out. The boy turned around, his cheeks painted with red triangles.

"Oh, Shikamaru!"

"Tch, Kotone. Watch where you're going," he scolded though his face said it didn't bother him.

Kotone looked down at the boy, only just realizing she had a few inches on him height wise. During the Chunin Exams she hadn't really paid attention to the age and size differences of her opponents. She smiled and pat his head much like she did with Kaori.

"Sorry! I was lost in thought!"

Shikamaru blushed and swatted her hand away rapidly, surprising her. He was a genius, that much Kotone could discern from how he won his match. Maybe he knew what she could do while her team was busy.

"Oi, if you're thinking that much shouldn't you talk about it?" He asked before turning to walk away. Kotone stared at him with wide eyes until he gave the gesture to follow.

When they wound up at a large house Kotone realized it was his family's home. He slipped off his sandals and headed inside. She followed suit, though her knee high boots required her to unzip them along the inside seam.

"Oh! Shikamaru! You're late for lunch!" a woman's voice called out. When the brunette woman turned to further scold her son she spotted the unfamiliar snowy individual. "Ah. You were in the Chunin Exams."

Kotone nodded and bowed, "My name is Ueno Kotone. Sorry for intruding."

"Such manners!" The woman smiled at her, though immediately returned to glaring at her son. "You didn't want to warn me about company!?"

"She walked into me outside the compound. It wasn't planned," the boy responded, though Kotone noticed he avoided his mother's stare. _"He's afraid of her!"_ she realized with a restrained laugh.

"This son of mine is hopeless. Well, Kotone-chan, do you want some lunch?"

"I ate only a little while ago. Please don't trouble yourself with making extra," Kotone smiled politely. She could see Shikamaru cringe from her peripheral.

The mother nodded and went back to making the snack for her son. Kotone smiled at the familiar dynamic. Hotaru was always aggressive toward her, but much like Shikamaru's mother she loved her child.

Shikamaru lead her to an outside porch where he say down at a small table set for shogi. She cringed at the sight of the board recalling a number of times Takumi and Toko had beaten her at the game. Even Kaori could top her on a bad day.

"So you had me follow you to get an easy win?"

Shikamaru let out a chuckle at the comment, but sat down on the far side. He waited patiently for Kotone to approach the board.

"Afraid of losing?"

Kotone's eyebrow twitched though she again recalled the few times Kaori won and the shame that accompanied the loss.

"I don't like to lose, but I know I'm not good at this game," Kotone replied though she sat down ready to play.

Their match started in silence. Kotone had expected it to go by quickly, but Shikamaru was constantly considering his next few moves. To mess with him she'd place a poor move down intentionally, knowing he'd consider she was plotting something. She smiled as he glanced from her last move to his. _"I'm the one who thinks too much? Unless..."_ Kotone's eyes widened when Shikamaru won the game in the next turn. The result was the same no matter how much Shikamaru thought about the moves, Kotone was not good at the game. No matter how much she thought about what to do or how to go back to the basics, the result was the same.

"You were right. You lost," he said with a yawn. His mother came out at that moment and handed him his food, still bringing a drink to Kotone.

"Oh! Thank you!" Kotone sniffed the tea and relaxed her shoulders. _"Gyokuro!"_ she recognized the smell immediately and took a happy sip.

"You must like tea, Kotone-chan," Shikamaru's mother noted.

Kotone's braid swiped along her back as she shook her head in response. "I do like tea, but sweet tea is hard to come by in Ame. Merchants raise their prices because of the rarity of tea leaves in general. This is my favorite kind!"

Shikamaru's mother smiled again and nodded, "You seem like the type who would enjoy it. Oh, Shikamaru, you beat her?"

He shrugged and glanced to Kotone who was perfectly content with her drink.

"You're never going to get married if you don't treat a woman politely! You're too much like your father!" His mother's scolding had him twitch and blush.

Kotone giggled at the thought considering he was even younger than her. Though her brow twitched when she recalled her mother mentioning arranged marriages a year ago.

When the two were along again, Kotone sighed and looked at the sky. "Now there's something I'll never get used to."

"Hmm?" Shikamaru was already laying down and staring into the blue.

"Sunny days happened in Ame, but even then I never really looked up at the sky. It's nice."

The lazy genius was surprised by that confession, though he didn't let it show, considering he had rarely done anything but look to the sky. His envy of clouds was obvious, yet here was someone who had rarely thought to notice them floating so casually.

"Thank you, Shikamaru."

"Eh?"

"I would've probably kept walking around until some answer hit me. That'd be a bigger waste of time than doing nothing. The basics, huh?" Kotone paused as she tracked a slow moving cloud, "Resting is part of the basics, isn't it?"

He grinned and nodded, relaxing in the warm heat of the sun. Kotone closed her eyes and sipped her tea, enjoying a strange moment of peace after everything that happened.

AN: So I do use some Japanese interchangeably with English. Words like "Itadakimasu" just don't read as smooth in English as I'd like. It's probably due to my watching the subbed anime, so instead of hearing "Thanks for the meal!" I heard "Itadakimasu!" Plus it's a cultural thing that just isn't present in America.

Also, I realized some of the math may seem funny with Kaori's age and the age of Kotone and them so here's a cheat sheet:

Kaori is 12, but graduated the Academy at 11 because her skills were impressive. It's also why she had to be put on an older team as her graduating early offset the number of graduates.

Kotone and Takumi are 15 and graduated in the same group at age 12. They had a third teammate named Jin who was also their age, but he hasn't been on their team for 2 years. Kaori has been on their team for just about 1 year as they went a while without a replacement and did the lowest D-rank missions they could find.

I know this chapter started off so down and then was more relaxed than some of the others, but I felt that a part of Kotone wasn't clearly showing up yet. I actually had a whole different ending (from leaving the ramen shop and on) but this felt truer to Kotone and her emotions regarding working and training and how she rarely sleeps on missions or even struggled to take a day off training last time.


	10. Basics are Harder the Second Time Around

When Rain Falls: Chapter 10 – Basics are Harder the Second Time Around

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Birds were chirping as the sun rose over Konoha. Kotone stretched as she walked to the kitchen where her parents were already eating.

"Kotone!" her father greeted, "Going to do some more training today?"

"I've been working on my balance lately, but I might see if Toko-sensei wants to do anything now that more of the repairs are done or manageable. It's been a while since I got to train with Kaori or Takumi."

"Ohhh," Yuuto sighed.

Kotone looked at her father with a quizzical expression, but her mother was the one to explain, "He's just sad you won't see us open the store. We opened the one in Ame before you were born, but this time you've got responsibilities of your own."

"If you want I could wait until after you open the shop!"

Yuuto's face regained hope, but he cringed at the glare from his wife. "M-maybe you shouldn't keep your team waiting."

"It shouldn't be a problem! I'll stay until the shop is opened and then I'll go to Toko-sensei's house!"

Hotaru sighed at her family despite the growing smile she poorly hid. Her husband was such a child when it came to Kotone. Her daughter was no better either.

"Okay! We open the store after breakfast!"

"Papa, aren't you worried business won't be good at first?"

Yuuto crossed his arms as a pensive look took over his peaceful expression, "It's true people might not need my tools right away, but I also often custom crafting. Oh! You should tell your friends I'll give them a discount if they need anything."

"Now that I think about it, there was a girl in the exams who seemed like a weapons specialist. I actually used her fight to win mine during the preliminaries. I'll make sure she knows about the custom work!"

Yuuto smiled and pat his daughter's head softly. Hotaru let out an exaggerated sigh as she picked up the dishes, Kotone knew the sound a cue to help her clean up.

The family moved down the stairs to the shop lined with various ninja tools and weapons. Even tools for crafting in case that was someone's preference, like Takumi. There was a porch that had the materials for crafting, such as a small forge and anvil for work though Yuuto only used that during the middle of the day when no one would be sleeping. If he was making tools into the night he would only do the finer crafting as to not wake any neighbors.

"Okay!" Hotaru took in a deep breath and she moved to unlock the doors at the front of the shop. Kotone and Yuuto stood back as the sunlight was exposed with the opening. There were a few curious citizens outside, some Kotone recognized from the reconstruction sites her father helped with.

"I figured they'd be here. They might not be shinobi, but many of my tools are good for other career paths," Yuuto smiled at his surprised daughter. Kotone just stared as her father in his large blue and white kimono moved to greet the few individuals.

"Yuuto-sama!" one of them called his attention as he pointed to a sculpting tool. Her father answered questions with gestures to demonstrate how they were different and more effective than present tools.

"Look at that," Hotaru rejoined her daughter, "this is more than the store in Ame ever saw at a time. Though he turned away a lot of customers there."

"Yeah. He only offers services to people who are deserving of help. Those who would abuse it are denied at the door. Didn't that ever worry you in Ame?"

"What do you think I was around for?" Hotaru smirked and moved her hand causing her puppets in the corners to twitch. Kotone sweatdropped at the fact that her mother had likely threatened many Ame ninja who would try to pressure her father into selling them something.

"Alright, I should be off!" Kotone jogged toward the door.

"You don't want your jacket or wires today?"

Kotone shook her head with a bright smile, "I'm going back through the basics, remember?"

Hotaru smiled and waved as her daughter left the shop.

Kotone reached Toko-sensei's house quickly due to its close proximity to her own. The door opened before she could knock.

"Kotone," Toko greeted with Kaori and Takumi putting on their sandals behind her. "Good timing, I was going to get you on the way. Training resumes today. Once the next Hokage is chosen we'll have missions again and we need to be ready to do our part."

"You sound more serious than normal, Toko-sensei," Kotone raised an eyebrow as her sensei twitched at the comment.

"Ask your teammates," she replied with a cold glare over her shoulder at the two who were waiting in silence. They jumped at the eye contact and averted their stares immediately.

"Oh? What did you two do?" Kotone asked as Toko brushed past her.

"Nothing!" Kaori replied in a small yell, her cheeks blushing. Takumi turned his head away and rubbed the back of his neck, also avoiding the topic.

"Oi! Someone has to tell me what happened. How are we supposed to train together if you two won't even look at each other?"

Takumi sighed and put his hand up to Kotone's ear, his voice quiet, "Kaori walked in on me in the bath. After that she started to shout and throw things at me. When I finally got dressed she tried to hit me and ended up cracking a wall in the house."

Kotone covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. She could picture Kaori's happy demeanor melting into an embarrassment driven rage, throwing anything she could reach at Takumi would be trying to stay modest. Her eyes widened at a thought, "T-Takumi? Did she see you..."

Takumi just turned his head, a blush going up to his ears. Kotone couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. Toko was the only one to remain unphased by Kotone's laugh, her other students were red with embarassment.

"Kotone-chan! It's not funny! He saw me too!" Kaori complained, her face puffed up in a pout.

"Takumi!" Kotone turned to scold him, but he gave her a look that stopped her. It wasn't his fault Kaori walked into the bath when it was occupied.

"I had to chose to either cover myself or my eyes," he finished his defense before trotting to keep up with Toko-sensei.

Kaori grumbled in anger as she stayed at pace with Kotone. The white haired girl pat Kaori's shoulder in comfort, "It's okay Kaori. Takumi isn't a pervert, but next time you should knock before opening the bath. As for what you saw and what he saw, well, that you'll just have to get over. There's nothing to be ashamed of!"

"Have you ever been seen like that, Kotone-chan?" her dark blue eyes stared up at her with curiosity.

"Ah. No. Other than my family when I was younger I imagine, I don't think anyone has. Though eventually I might date someone!"

Kaori blushed at what Kotone was suggesting. It took the older girl a minute before she realized she had phrased it wrong and suggested something indecent.

"Ah, no. Wait –"

"I didn't think Kotone-chan was so direct," Kaori averted her eyes.

"I'm not! Kaori I didn't mean it that way!"

Kaori stuck out her tongue at Kotone and the frost haired girl realized her teammate was just teasing her in response for her laughing at their predicament earlier.

"Oh. Do you have anyone you like, Kotone-chan?"

Kotone put a finger to her chin and closed her eyes in thought, "Well I haven't really met anyone my age here, but the teams your age are nice. The boys here are more attractive than Ame, though that wasn't a high bar to pass. I don't know yet! How about you Kaori?"

Kaori blushed and nodded, "I do, but I haven't really gotten to talk to him."

"Oh?! Who? Who?" Kotone prodded her young teammate. She had never seen Kaori so excited about a boy since most kids in Ame considered her to be a freak given her fighting style. The poor girl had never known anyone to crush on, but this new home was brimming with opportunities it seemed.

Kaori shook her head, her bangs tickling her brow as a smile spread across her face, "I don't want to jinx it, Kotone-chan!"

"That's not a bad idea. If you told any of us we'd probably try to get involved in some way! Who do you think Takumi likes?"

Kaori furrowed her brows, "What is his type?"

Kotone had only asked so that the teasing could be shared by all of their team, but Kaori's question stumped her. He had always picked on her for her personality so she imagined it would be someone not like her. _"So...someone like Hinata, maybe?"_ Kotone tilted her head as she stared at her teammate and tried to picture him with the quiet Hyuga. She shook her head when the picture just didn't line up.

"I don't know, actually. I guess we'll just have to see! Maybe he'll end up a lonely old man!"

"That's mean, Kotone-chan. Everyone should find someone to spend their life with!" Kaori reprimanded.

Kotone nodded and they spent the rest of the trip catching up on Kaori's growing talents.

"Kotone," Toko's voiced brought the two girls out of their chatting, "Where are you gauntlets?"

Kotone froze when she realized Toko was going to have her using her wires. She hadn't told her yet what she had been doing the last few days during reconstruction.

"Well, Toko-sensei, I was going back through the basics. So I didn't think to grab them."

"The basics?" Toko furrowed her brow, but she nodded after a minute of contemplation. "Then all of you should review the basics."

"Eh? Why?" Takumi asked curiously. He wasn't opposed given that he was training in basic physical fitness recently, but Kaori and Kotone had powerful understandings of the basics. Why go backwards?

"A good question, but let's see if you can figure it out," Toko strung out two ropes much like the one Kotone had used before the tournament. "Kotone and Takumi, on the ropes!"

"Eh? Why only those two?" Kaori asked.

"Because you don't need the work these two do. I want you to kick that tree trunk 100 times with each leg. Once you finish that, call me over."

Kaori nodded and went to the trunk she was instructed to hit. It was clear her sensei didn't want her to do her normal chakra laced hits, but rather to just strike at the tree like a genin fresh out of the academy might if they were practicing taijutsu.

Meanwhile, Takumi and Kotone stood on the ropes, the former struggling to maintain his position while his teammate was perfectly balanced.

Toko looked between the two before focusing on Takumi. "You have to hold still on the rope on one leg until Kaori finishes 100 strikes with one leg. Then you can switch until she finishes the other leg. We've been working on your upper body strength mostly, but now we're going to focus on your core strength and lower body. This should help you improve balance as well as build muscle."

Kotone blinked at her sensei expectantly. She knew her training was likely to be harder than Takumi's but everyone had something to work on.

"Kotone, 100 one legged squats. Your lower body strength isn't as high as it should be given your speed. Because of this you can't hold your top speed for long and it could put you in a bad position if you had to flee an enemy or pursue one. Your days of hiding behind your wires and traps are running out now that more people are able to figure out your technique. It's time for you to adapt your style."

The white haired girl nodded and pulled one leg off the rope. When she started to lower her body on one leg, Toko called out, "Not like that. Put your other leg straight out in front of you. It has to feel like a challenge or it won't work."

Kotone's brows twitched as she stretched her right leg out in front of her, her toes pointed at the tree. She slowly started to lower herself, but it became clear to her that this was going to offset her balance. Maintaining posture with her leg out and balancing on the rope was a difficult task, but Kotone knew Toko-sensei was capable of training up their individual weaknesses well.

Kotone's olive eyes traveled to her teammates who were holding up much better than she was. She was at 15 of these squats and already her muscles were calling out. If she wasn't doing them so slowly she might be in less pain, but her body was quickly telling her that her legs didn't like the sudden change. Kaori was doing well with her kicks, though there was the occasional cringe when she struck the tree too hard for her own liking. Takumi's shoulders would twitch when he was losing balance, but he'd never overreact and lose his stance.

Kotone sighed shakily as her count for her left leg climbed. Her muscles were slowly protesting louder, but she had to finish the amount Toko listed. As Kotone dropped into the next squat she tried to adjust her foot slightly. The movement caused her to lose her balance and she fell off the rope, landing on her right foot on the ground.

"Start over," Toko called out to the white haired girl.

Kotone nodded and avoided the surprised stares of her teammates. It wasn't that her legs were particularly weak, but the combined efforts of maintaining balance on the rope with one leg, completing the squat, and holding the other leg out straight. Any shift in weight could cause her to drop off the rope and she wasn't allowed to use chakra to stay put.

"_This could be harder than I was expecting. All the training I've been doing the last few days involved dodging and hitting targets. This is something I didn't realize I needed,"_ Kotone thought as she started her set again.

Toko watched from her spot under a nearby tree. She could see Kotone's left leg was starting to resist the training, but it was something she didn't have the luxury of trying back in Ame due to the rain. Rope training usually involved chakra because of the rain constantly beating down on her team. This was to make up for the years where her team could only evolve through unique battle styles.

It was an hour later when Takumi and Kaori finished their activities, but Kotone had slowed down dramatically, barely finishing her first leg. Sweat beaded near her forehead when she tried to lift her left leg to the position her right one had been in, the stretching motion clearly causing pain.

"Toko-sensei, what should we do now?" Kaori asked, trying to avoid her teammate's struggle.

Toko removed her gaze from Kotone and looked between the two in front of her. Takumi's legs were twitching lightly under his lose pants, but the motion still caught her eye. Kaori's boots had some clear scuffs and there were snags along the shins of her pants from poor hits to the tree.

"Go home for today. I have to stay to see Kotone finish."

"That's it?" Takumi asked with his brows furrowed.

"Yes. Your bodies are going to need to properly recover if these are to get harder over each day. Go home and relax. I do expect dinner when I get there."

Kaori and Takumi eyed each other for a minute, a clear argument brewing over who would cook, before looking back to their sensei and friend before departing.

"Takumi-san, why would Toko-sensei expect dinner ready? It's barely getting close to lunch?" Kaori asked as they trekked back to the house.

Takumi looked up at the sky and sighed. "The second leg is likely going to be harder for Kotone. First, she started with her strong leg, her left leg. Second, she slipped even on her stronger leg. Toko-sensei is probably expecting her to fall a few times with her right leg."

"Will Kotone-chan be okay? It seems like hers is so much harder than ours."

"Our training was hindered by the weather in Ame. Because of the constant rain we couldn't do this type of training outside without risk of illness or serious injury due to the slickness. When we first were assigned to Toko-sensei, we had issues getting these types of basics down and instead were trained on how to improve the methods we used in combat," Takumi paused in his explanation.

Kaori nodded but her brows furrowed, "But does that mean we have better grasp of the basics than Kotone-chan?"

Takumi took a breath as he considered how to answer, "Kotone's chakra control is so strong because her parents had her training before she even entered the academy. So Toko-sensei had her practice with that even more when we became a team. However, Kotone was the slowest in our group at first, so Toko-sensei had her practice putting chakra into the bottom of her feet –"

"Like tree climbing or walking on water?"

"Exactly. She had her practice her chakra control while also sending her running through the village and surrounding areas. I never went on those runs because I had to take care of my mother at the time and Jin... Well he was already fast, but running out in the rain is meant for those who are heartier than normal. Kotone has never had a cold, did you know that?"

"Eh?! Really?"

Takumi nodded, proud of himself for pulling Kaori away from her concern for their teammate. But he knew Kotone was finally feeling the strain of having to catch up where she was lacking. Her speed was impressive because every time she ran she used bursts of chakra, much like Sakura had done in the preliminaries. It was a basic skill, but Kotone's legs couldn't handle running at full speed for long without help from her chakra. While her balance was flawless, Kotone's leg strength could use improvement.

The pair were surprised when they bumped into Sakura who was looking at the ground as she walked.

"Sakura-chan!" Kaori greeted with enthusiasm, though Takumi cringed at her lack of restraint given Sakura's mood.

"Oh. Takumi and Kaori. Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Sakura's voice dipped into a whisper.

"Everything okay, Sakura-chan?"

The bubble gum haired girl gave a weak smile and shook her head. "It's okay! I'm just worrying too much, is all!"

Kaori didn't seem satisfied with Sakura's response, but just watched as she continued on her way. Her blue eyes followed her until Sakura disappeared around a corner.

"I wonder what's wrong."

"Some people want to struggle through things on their own for a little while. It's best not to pressure her," Takumi explained before continuing to their house. Kaori jogged to catch up to her male teammate and the argument for who would cook dinner ensued.

The sun was starting to set lower in the sky, marking late afternoon. Toko remained under a tree, comfortably leaning against the trunk. Her eyes fixed on her student who was struggling with her right leg.

"Augh!" Kotone exclaimed as she fell again. Her right leg trembled in pain as she stared back up at the rope, her breath coming out in pants.

"You were close to being done that time," Toko remarked from her spot. She walked to her student and knelt down beside her, pressing a chakra infused hand to Kotone's right thigh. Toko furrowed her brow and moved her hand to her student's foot where she found the trouble spot. "This is going to hurt."

Kotone didn't have a chance to prepare herself as Toko forced her student's ankle to align properly. The younger girl called out, but sighed in relief when it was over. She didn't catch herself after her last fall and had landed in a way that dislocated her ankle.

"That's it for today," Toko commented as she stood up.

"No! I didn't finish my training!" Kotone struggled to stand, but any pressure on her right foot was rejected and she nearly toppled over.

Her sensei caught her and lifted her onto her back. "Kotone, you did more than 100 squats in total on your right leg. Once your ankle heals properly you can do it again. I'll ask your mother to look at your ankle after I drop you off."

"Her healing jutsu aren't the best, you know that," Kotone murmured, dread welling up in stomach at her mother's incoming scolding.

"I'd rather take you to the hospital, but you mother should be able to handle this one."

Kotone remained silent the rest of the way to her house. Her parents weren't surprised by the injury, nor the sight of Toko carrying their daughter on her back. Though the teacher could barely get out of the house before Hotaru's scolding started.

"Honestly, Kotone! A dislocated ankle! Tsk," her mother voiced as she held her hand to her daughter's right ankle.

"Trust me, it gets more embarrassing the older I get. Having Toko-sensei carry me through the village. I'm pretty sure she took the longest route possible too!"

Hotaru chuckled at the thought of her daughter's teacher taking longer to get her home so that she would cringe with embarrassment at the memory. Toko was subtle in the torture of her students.

"Kotone, you shouldn't train tomorrow. I can heal this, but over exerting yourself could lead to re-injury. If I was better at healing jutsu it might not be a problem, but you should rest around the house. I wouldn't even walk on it too much."

Kotone pouted at the thought of just sitting in the house while her parents ran the business on the first floor. Hotaru saw the look on her daughter's face and caved, "Fine! You can help in the store tomorrow, but that's it! You will take a lunch break up here and rest. Understand?"

With a smile, Kotone nodded in agreement and flexed her foot to test the healing that was being done. Her mother flicked her ankle to stop the movement, which caused Kotone to yelp in surprise and pain.

* * *

Kotone sighed as she was propped up on a stool behind the counter. Customers interacted with her parents, but she only got to take the payment and say "Thanks for stopping by" or" Thank you for your purchase!" She tapped her fingers on the counter with her chin in her other hand when some familiar faces walked in.

The two brunettes were surprised to see Kotone sitting behind the counter, though one was willing to break the awkward stares they had held.

"Kotone? Right?" the bun haired woman asked with a smile.

"Yes! You're Tenten, I knew you'd find this shop eventually. Just looking around? Or...?"

"I was curious about this place when Gai-sensei mentioned how a new citizen in the village was opening a specialty weapons shop. He told me to take a look! Seems like business is going well!"

Kotone nodded, "We only opened yesterday, but word of mouth seems to have spread. My father makes everything here so if you want anything of custom design feel free to ask! He also promises a discount to anyone near my age."

"Really?!" Tenten's eye lit up since she had spotted some of the more expensive items from a distance. "So your mother must be the one with the white hair in the ponytail, right?"

Kotone sweat dropped and an awkward smile tugged at her lips, "Ah, no. That's my father actually, but a few people have gotten it mixed up before because he's so slender and the kimono doesn't really help define his shape. My mother is the one with black hair!"

Tenten and her companion, who finally entered the store further, spotted the woman arguing with a customer over the price of an item. Her mother threw out the traits that made it expensive: the metal used, the quality of work, the hours of labor, and finally that it could adapt to any chakra nature based on the user. The two deadpanned when they saw the ferocity in her expressions and her stubborn personality.

"In case you didn't realize it I take after my father mostly, but I do have some traits of my mother. So, how about you Neji, anything you see in the shop?"

Tenten's companion flinched at Kotone's casual calling of his name, but he glanced around the store in interest.

"Your father makes everything?"

"Yep! He has everything in the backyard for making tools, plus he uses the Ueno kekke genkai to help him create tools with precision and it helps him up the quality as well. Only the finest materials go into his work unless someone is trying to haggle a price down and asks for lower quality. He made my wires so they would be even thinner than normal wires, but would be stronger with chakra laced through it."

"I see. So your fighting style adapted from your father?"

"Well, mostly. My mother is a puppet master, and a frightening one at that. So when I showed the ability to use chakra at a young age she tried to train me in the ways of the puppeteer. I didn't take to it though, something she still resents when we spar. But my father realized that the chakra control was there, just not in the same way."

Neji nodded and turned to Kotone for another question, "Both your parents are retired?"

"Yeah, they retired when I was born. Amegakure isn't a place you leave a child alone, and they were really afraid of that. I was a crybaby as a kid too, so they probably wanted to avoid making me sad. But because they retired we were allowed to move. It would've been a stretch had it been three active jonin level shinobi and three genin from a different village move."

Tenten was carrying a number of tools in her arms which she dumped at the counter. "So your whole team and your parents moved?"

"Yes. Ame was getting less safe everyday so they requested a move. I was really happy that everyone on my team got to join in, but given their situations it makes sense. Only Takumi has something holding him to Ame, but he was determined to stick with us."

Kotone rang up Tenten up, applying the discount her father asked of her.

"You're not training today?" Tenten asked as she handed over the moderate sum of money she owed.

"I hurt my ankle training yesterday and both my sensei and mama ordered me to rest. But I have my gauntlets on in case anyone asks about customer orders," Kotone said with a wink as she moved some wires, just having them float in the air near her arms.

"So that's how those work," Tenten got closer to the metal tools and watched as Kotone laced some threads around each other a moved her fingers, demonstrating how it was similar to a puppet master's movements.

Neji watched, though he didn't show as much interest as Tenten. He knew Kotone was a strong opponent from the exams, though he had missed her final match he was told she had a lot of talent hidden. He was curious about her abilities given her fighting style, but his interest was minimal.

The two left, likely on their way to training, with Tenten's new toys. Kotone waved as they walked out and her mother walked over, a smirk Kotone knew to take caution around.

"Well, he was cute," he mother teased. "If I remember right he's rather strong too!"

"No, mama. Let's not have this talk again."

"Kotone! You should enjoy your younger years. Things are easier now than they will be later when your older and you're expected to get married and have children. A crush at your age is perfectly normal!"

"That's the first time I've actually talked to Neji. Honestly, if you want to pester me about boys you should ask who I know first."

"Oh! So there is someone?!"

Her mother's excitement was childlike, but it made Kotone happy that she cared about the smaller things. The things a normal girl would care about.

"There isn't anyone, yet. But I'll admit the people here are more interesting. Kaori has a crush, apparently, though she wouldn't tell me who. She said she didn't want to jinx it."

"Oh? Smart girl with nosy teammates like you and Takumi. You'd hunt the boy down and threaten him probably," Hotaru shrugged and signaled for Kotone to follow her up the stairs.

The two bickered as Kotone watched her mom cook her lunch. Her ankle was pretty much healed and she could resume her training in the following days depending on Toko-sensei's orders. Kotone was eager to get back to training after she realized her muscles were sore. There would be improvement if she continued to follow the training routine.

AN: Alright, another one down! I had trouble writing this one because it feels like filler pieces and felt less important. So I added a lot of interactions with other characters to make it less empty. Should be back in the main plot in the next one! Time for Tsunade to show up!


	11. Things Return to Normal: An Arranged Mar

When Rain Falls: Chapter 11 – Things Return to Normal: An Arranged Marriage?!

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Kotone's legs felt like wet noodles as she moved toward the Hokage Tower. Her training was going far better after her ankle healed, but Toko had upped the amount of squats after she did 100 on each leg consecutively. Now she had to hold a squat on one leg for a longer time period, much like Takumi's training. However, the results were already starting to show.

"Kotone-chan!" Kaori waved from her spot with Toko and Takumi. Kotone waved back to her friends as she moved to stand near them. They all watched as the new Hokage, a busty blonde named Tsunade, accepted her position and proclaimed that she would protect the village. Kotone had bumped into the woman already because of her family's newer standing in the village. She had personally dropped by the store to see why the Third Hokage made such a bold move in accepting their request. Apparenty she was satisfied after meeting the young trio who made up Team Toko, as Naruto had recently dubbed them.

She had also healed Kotone's ankle to perfection, her mother and sensei had missed a small crack in the bone that had caused her pain in her increased training regime. Kotone was impressed by the woman and considered her a wise choice for the Hokage given her knowledge of healing jutsu and her stature as on the three legendary sannin. Though Kotone was surprised that the white haired man Naruto left with was also a legendary sannin and an old friend of Tsunade.

"Amazing! A female Hokage! She's the first, right Takumi-san?" Kaori asked, her eyes sparkling with inspiration.

Takumi nodded and was impressed with her knowledge of Konoha's history. "She's the granddaughter of the First Hokage. Her knowledge of medical ninjutsu is unrivaled and she's also impressive in combat. It's because of her that four man teams are required to have a shinobi with healing talents."

"Wow! I wonder if I could learn healing ninjutsu?" Kaori pondered the idea sincerely, though Kotone, Takumi, and Toko all agreed instantly that it was impossible. Her explosive delivery of chakra would do more damage than good.

Though it did occur to Toko that if her team wanted to continue to work together one of them would need to learn healing ninjutsu. Now that they had all strengthened the basics they were missing, and would likely continue to in their off time, they could resume training their stronger abilities to feel and see the differences. She could see either of her remaining students train in healing, though she favored one for the task over the other.

"Oi. Training time, let's go!" Toko called out. Her students all cringed at the thought of what awaited them, though they were pleasantly surprised when she ended up taking them out for lunch at the BBQ house Kaori and Kotone had been to once before.

The following day, Kotone and Kaori were walking around while Toko and Takumi went to collect the scroll for their first mission when they bumped into Naruto's team discussing something in a side street.

"Eh? Naruto-kun?" Kaori asked in a hesitant greeting.

"Oh! Kaori-chan! Kotone-chan!" Naruto waved to them, though the two remained cautious. "Hey! Hey! Kotone-chan! How hard is it for people to notice your wires?!"

"Eh? My wires?" Kotone held up her gauntlet after pulling up the sleeve, "Pretty hard. A high level shinobi would probably notice my chakra first, but a single wire would go unnoticed by most I guess. I've never really tried it."

Naruto and the gang looked at each other before nodding. "Help us!"

Kotone and Kaori felt like they had chosen to greet the trio on the wrong day. They felt less tense after Naruto explained the situation to them, though they were still confused.

"Wait, you mean you've never seen his face? I knew he wore the mask a lot, but always?" Kotone raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

Kaori nodded, agreeing with her teammate, "He has to take it off to eat, right?"

"We tried that already, but stupid Ino-pig got in the way," Sakura growled at the memory of their team just blocking the view entirely.

"When you asked me about the wires, I didn't think you meant someone like Kakashi-sensei. Toko-sensei is one of the only people I've met that can detect my wire fields without being able to see them. I imagine it wouldn't be much different with Kakashi. He seems like he's pretty strong, right Kaori?"

"Un! Him and Toko-sensei would likely be of the same level based on their chakra levels. Both are also considered 'copy-cat' shinobi!"

"Really? You've been doing your research lately, Kaori!"

"Takumi makes me when we're not training."

Kotone let out an 'ah' sound, knowing Takumi was trying to influence their young teammate to be smarter and more like him.

"Aww, so it won't work?" Sakura asked, her face turning to a pout.

Kotone sighed and rubbed the back of her head, "I mean, I could try, but I don't promise anything."

When they practically pushed Kotone into his path, the white haired girl realized it was a poor decision to try and trick Kakashi. However they all had such cute pouts on their faces, except for Sasuke. If only she had looked to him to resist her urge to help those younger than her.

"Oh! Kakashi-sensei!" Kotone called out when he neared her.

"Eh? Kotone?" He looked up from his book.

"Can you help me with something? Toko-sensei went to the Hokage's office to get our next mission, but I wanted to show her a new way to use my wires. Can I get your opinion?"

"You want my opinion?"

"Well you're the first sensei I've bumped into. I would've taken any high level shinobi's opinion. If you don't want to, that's fine! I'll just go find Gai or Asuma instead!" Kotone turned to leave though Kakashi sighed and stopped her.

She started to manipulate a single wire toward his face when Kakashi let out an knowing sound.

"Using a single wire to ensure subtlety. I'm not sure when it will be useful, but it is hard to notice your chakra," he observed, though his visible eye said he knew.

Kotone averted her gaze, a twitching grin on her face, "Is that so? Well I'll just have to practice I guess."

He waved as he walked off and Kotone let out a deep sigh as she shrugged to where Naruto's team was hiding. Takumi found them shortly after her failed attempt.

"Kaori! Kotone! We have a mission! Let's go!"

"Sorry Naruto! Looks like we're out of time to help out! Maybe next time!" Kotone said before leaping across the rooftops to follow Takumi, Kaori fast behind her.

"So we're going to escort a noble's daughter back to Konoha?" Kotone asked once they were out of the village.

"That's what it says. She's from a nearby land and has business in the village regarding an arranged marriage. It's considered a C-Rank if we safely escort her. It's worth a decent amount though," Toko explained casually as they retained a running pace.

"How long will this one take?" Kaori asked curiously.

"Likely a few days. The land we're going to is pretty close, but with a civilian in our company on the way back it will take one day to get there and two days to get back. Three days I'm assuming. That's without trouble," Takumi detailed.

Takumi was right that the trip there was easy, but the trip back made Kotone hate children with privilege.

"Patience, Kotone-chan," Kaori whispered when her teammate broke the stick after she ate her dango. The woman they were escorting had required three breaks already. They enjoyed a lavish meal courtesy of her father in gratitude for their acceptance of the mission. But this was crossing a few lines with Kotone.

"Can't we find a nice inn somewhere! I'm tired!" The young woman called out. Her voice wasn't unpleasant to the ear, just annoying after how many complaints she had.

Toko glanced to her while sipping her tea. She put the cup down and shook her head. "No. We need to get halfway at least if you're to make the meeting on time."

"I told my father I didn't want to go through with this! He's had me attend ten marriage meetings in the last two months! All of them were ugly old men! I refuse!"

"That's not my business. My business is making sure you get to Konoha unharmed. Though if you complain anymore I might consider letting a bandit take you away."

Kotone, Kaori, and Takumi jolted at the light threat from their sensei. It was pitiable, being forced to endure arranged marriage meetings with men she had no interest in, but it wasn't their fault. Clearly her father wanted a lifestyle for her that she was opposed to.

Kotone sighed when the girl started to cry over the threat. Her complaints grew and she started to throw food at Toko.

"Oi! If you don't like this next one you should talk to your father. If he won't drop the marriage thing, then ask him to let you pick some of the men. That way you at least get to see a picture first. But you might like the next guy, you don't know."

"You don't understand! I don't get to choose anything!"

"My mother teases me about liking boys, but she's from a family that had a tradition of arranged marriages. She broke the rules when she married my father, but she's considering it for me. I don't know how you feel right now, no, but I also know that if you father loves you, he will want what's best for you. Maybe he's sending you so far this time because he found a better guy."

The woman sniffled, her long black hair danced as a breeze passed through. Toko chuckled at Kotone's personal admittance that her mother was likely going to try to decide her marriage when she was of age. However she agreed with Kotone in that her family would consider her opinion. The woman they were escorting clearly had a loving father, but they had bad communication.

"I agree. Based on what my teammates have said, the men of Konoha are more attractive than our original village," Takumi reassured with a devious smile.

"Really?" The girl hiccuped.

Kaori nodded, "It's true! Though Toko-sensei could speak for the older men better!"

The other two teammates nearly burst into laughter at Kaori's phrasing. All she had meant was men older than they were, but it sounded like Toko was far older than she looked.

"Hmm. There are some attractive men in Konoha. I don't know about any noble's sons or whatnot, but the shinobi are pretty handsome," she admitted with a smirk. Clearly Toko hadn't wasted any time in admiring her new allies. A thought that caused Takumi and Kotone to grin considering their sensei had the worst luck with men. She was strong and witty, but her brain was the most frightening part about her. Her memory was endless and she only had to see something once in order to memorize it. Whenever she had gone on a date or saw the guy's house she would recall in terrifying detail what she enjoyed.

The woman nodded, though she still seemed uncertain. It was comforting that there were likely better options for her in Konoha, but she took solace in the advice about talking to her father if it didn't go well.

"Oi, oi! Kotone-chan," Kaori waved her over when they resumed their trek back. They needed to hit the halfway point before nightfall, but they were already running behind.

"Eh? What is it Kaori?"

"Is it true Hotaru-sama is going to try to arrange a marriage for you?"

"Ah. It's possible. She saw me talk to Neji the other day when him and Tenten visited the shop. She was pretty quick to try and see if I liked him. I know she just wants me to be happy, but she'd never force me into anything!"

"Really? Neji-san?"

"Eh? That's the honorific you use for him? Everyone else get's a less formal one usually. Other than Takumi, that is!"

"He's from a pretty prestigious clan so I assumed he'd be used to formalities. Am I wrong?"

Kotone thought back to how Neji reacted when she called him without an honorific. "You might be right, Kaori. I'm just casual with everyone except parents!"

"That's right. You are really respectful around parents or other adults aren't you?" Takumi asked as he recalled how polite she had been around his mother despite her disdain for shinobi with bloodline limits. The hate for those born to clans ran deep in his mother's mind. So much so that she still didn't like Kotone despite her constant respectful behavior.

"It's how my parents raised me. I treat friends like friends and people worth respect with respect. If I thought a parent or adult wasn't worth respect I would probably be less polite."

They reached the inn shortly after nightfall due to the delays by their esteemed guest. She apologized and offered to pay for the stay as well as the use of the bathhouse. Toko glanced at her team before agreeing. They hadn't been treated to something like that in a while.

"Sorry, Takumi. You'll be on your own for a while," Toko said as they all departed their rented rooms for the bath.

He shrugged and smiled wider than normal, "I could use the time alone to relax finally. I'm surrounded by you three constantly so a break will be nice."

Kotone stuck out her tongue at Takumi as he turned to enter the men's side of the bath while they entered the women's side.

Wrapping towels around themselves they entered the bath and relaxed. Kotone let her hair out of its usual braid and it was afloat in the water around her. She leaned back against the stones and let out a happy sigh at the feeling of her legs relaxing.

Kaori glanced between her and her friend's figure with a pout, opting to duck her mouth under the water to hide her frustration. Though her envy didn't go unnoticed by her sensei or their guest.

"You're still young, Kaori," Toko teased with a grin, though her own figure wasn't too shapely. Her rigorous training left little to no fat on her body. Instead she was slender with a flatter chest, but Toko never saw that as an issue given her indifference to the opinions of others about appearance. She kept her hair in a short but flared out bob and her figure wasn't curvy, but she wore figure hugging clothes to accentuate what she had.

Kaori blew bubble in frustration, still noticing that Kotone's towel hugged her firmly. The guest giggled at the envy despite the three years Kotone had on Kaori. She could remember being like Kaori and envying every older woman she saw who had a slight figure. Though Kotone wasn't particularly large in any area, she had enough to draw some attention.

"So what will you do if you don't like your next meeting?" Kotone asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Hmm. I'll likely stay in Konoha to discuss political matters with the heads of state before I request and escort back to my father. Regardless of whether or not it goes well I will have to return home at some point. Though I imagine if I send my father a letter saying I like this one, he'd come right over with his full guard to meet the man himself. I'm still not comfortable with the idea of getting married."

"Un. That's reasonable," Toko responded. "It's a commitment of a lifetime. It's even harder to maintain when you don't get to properly know your spouse beforehand. But it's how you approach it that matters. Like Kotone said earlier, her mother might try to arrange her marriage one day, but that's something she'll deal with then. Take it as it comes and you'll be alright."

"Wow! Toko-sensei, you really gave some reasonable advice. No angry yelling or orders for just handling it. You were calm too!" Kotone grinned and tilted her head to dodge the wet towel her sensei had flung at her.

"It's true though, Toko-sensei! That was very reasurring!" Kaori agreed, finally moving beyond her envy.

"You're my students. She's a guest. I'm not going to treat her like you three unless she does something stupid."

"I guess that's fair," Kaori conceded. Kotone simply went back to relaxing while Toko and the guest got out for the night. Kaori dawdled closer to Kotone when other women came into the bath. It wasn't long before the two young girls got out of the water and ready for bed.

After everyone ate and went to bed, the guest of the evening started to gather her things. It wasn't until she got to the hallway that she realized she was caught.

"I had a feeling you'd try to run out in the night," Toko sighed and moved her cool gaze toward the other woman, her pine toned eyed catching the moonlight in a dangerous glare.

"I didn't want anyone else involved, but I can't make it to Konoha. If I get all the way there the man I love will abandon me! We agreed to meet tonight near this inn, that's why I delayed so long –"

"So that we wouldn't get to any other establishment down the road. Listen, I figured when you conceded to the advice a 15 year old gave you without any resistance that something was off. If you run off do you know what will happen?"

"Yes! I'll be free from a life I don't have any control over!"

"Wrong! You'll get my students in trouble back in Konoha. We're originally from Ame, but thanks to the Hokage and the Council, we were allowed better lives. If I let you run out on this mission we will be marked for our inability to serve the village. Suspicions will grow regarding my students. Your father will personally try to mark us for losing his beloved daughter. If you leave, you're letting everyone else take the fall for your selfishness."

The woman cringed, her bangs dipping past her eyes as she glanced back to the door where the others were sleeping.

"I thought you weren't going to treat me like your students," she reminded Toko.

Toko smirked, "Unless you did something stupid. This is stupid. So you have a man you care for, then you should have told your father in the first place. He loves you and likely would've at least met him. But this man won't wait forever I imagine. You have to make a choice tonight."

The woman straightened and walked past Toko, ignoring the dark stare she had fixated on her. She broke out into a job when she got outside.

Toko remained awake for the rest of the night, waiting for her team to awaken. It wasn't until the door opened, however, that she realized she had made the right choice in allowing their guest to choose.

"I'm sorry!" she said between pants. She was dripping with sweat and had to put her hands on her knees in order to catch her breath, but she was there.

"What about your friend?" Toko asked, trying to be discreet in case her students were waking up.

The woman caught on and lowered her voice, "I told him that I needed to follow through this time. And if he respected me, he would've gone to my father to request my hand. He left after that without another word."

Toko nodded, "Let us hope Konoha has something better to offer. For your sake."

The trio of students opened the screen that separated their portion of the room, grogginess flooding their eyes. Kotone yawned before asking about the guest's apparel to which both the adults just shrugged. They both ignored any further questions.

The rest of the trip went without issue other than some extra complaints from the daughter of the noble to draw Kotone into an argument. They stopped just inside the gates of the village to part ways with their charge.

"Kotone, Kaori, Takumi. Thank you for escorting me. I appreciate the risks you shinobi take when it comes to nobles and civilians. I wish you the best of luck with your training and advancements," the woman bowed, her elegant robes having been donned again for her meeting.

Toko nodded and turned to leave, "I have to make sure she gets to the Hokage Tower, but you three can have the rest of the day off."

"Okay!" Kotone and Kaori cheered while Takumi just smiled.

"Should we get something to eat?" Takumi suggested before walking into town. His female teammates followed after him quickly.

AN: So this ended up being a little filler like, but I realized Toko hadn't said or done much other than in the training scenes. I wanted people to get the feel for her like people got a feel for Kakashi originally, it took a bit of time to get to know ever aspect of him. A lot of it without his team present and that's definitely part of Toko's personality, she doesn't act entirely true to her nature around her students so it was fun to get to show a tiny portion of it. It should get exciting next time! Looking at a touch of a jump in time to avoid more filler, but an interesting arc is on its way!


	12. Storm Approaching

When Rain Falls: Chapter 12 – Storm Approaching

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

"Jin!" Kotone jolted awake as the sound of thunder rolled across the sky. Her shoulders shook from a dream she never thought she'd see again. She placed a hand over her heart, feeling the erratic rhythm while she tried to calm her thoughts.

"_Kotone," _a soothing voice called from her memory. Her eyes widened at how close it whispered in her ear. She knew the remnants of her dream were still lingering at the edge of her mind. She took a few deep breaths before getting up to retrieve a glass of water.

"Oh, Kotone?" Yuuto was surprised to see his daughter up so early in the morning. He stopped tinkering with a tool that had been commissioned by a jonin to focus on his daughter's muted behavior. Her eyes were clouded with something unfamiliar to him. She finally looked up and saw her father.

"Papa! Trying to finish a weapon? Are they expecting it today?" she asked with the usual energy he came to recognize.

"Yes, but this one part keeps sticking in the joints. I'm sure I'll figure it out before he comes to get it, though," Yuuto explained with his eyes trained on his daughter. Her actions were slower than normal, like she was shaken by something.

Kotone nodded absentmindedly and took a sip of her water. Her olive eyes closed as she tried to sort out her dream.

"_Jin!" Kotone greeted happily. The sand-haired boy turned, his black hair-tie snug to his scalp while his long hair descended down his back freely. Soft indigo eyes met hers as she trotted closer. _

"_Kotone," his voice was deeper than it should've been for his age, but everything about him was more mature than most his age. "How are you today?" _

"Kotone," Yuuto called out to his daughter. Her eyes snapped open as she returned to reality

"Ah, did I miss something? Sorry! I was just –"

"Thinking about Jin?"

Kotone's eyes widened at her father's guess. He sighed as she looked away, laying one arm across her torse, gripping the other in comfort.

"It's been two years hasn't it?" Yuuto tread softly around the topic. His daughter nodded, but it was a gesture he might've missed if not for his kekke genkai. "You had a dream about then?"

"Yeah. It's stupid to be having those dreams now, isn't it?"

"Mmm not really," Yuuto admitted while turning his attention back to the weapon he had designed, "Jin was a very kind boy and he was a good teammate to you and Takumi. Without him you and Takumi might still be gunning for each other's heads! To miss him, especially since you and Takumi were promoted, seems natural."

"Ah, is that it?" Kotone asked herself quietly. She was recalling the memories of Jin because she and Takumi had progressed as shinobi? A future that ultimately would've been impossible for their soft-eyed teammate.

"Is it regret that he didn't come this far? Or is it because you want to tell him about all your new friends?"

The question surprised Kotone, but she replied rather quickly, "Can it be both? I miss talking to him, like back at the academy. But I also wish he would've made it this far with us. I love Kaori and her progress is amazing, but Jin was the center of our team when we started. It feels wrong that we made it this far without him."

Yuuto nodded and let out another sigh. His daughter's life had been so simple and easy compared to Takumi or Kaori's, but she felt with so much more emotion than most people. Her friendship with Jin had been so precious to her, so for him to miss her and Takumi becoming chunin seemed unfair.

"I think you'll be okay in a little while. Besides, would you really want Jin here to laugh at the fact that you're barely a chunin? Or did you forget that you only got the position because of your observational skills and your ability to turn the tides in combat. If you weren't observant you probably would still be a genin with Takumi as your squad leader!"

Kotone hung her head in shame at the thought. Though the image of Jin's smiling face did cheer her up a little. She finished her water before returning to bed for a few more hours.

Yuuto remained focused until Hotaru joined him in the kitchen. As she prepared breakfast he decided to bring up the matter of their daughter's dreams with her.

"She dreamt of Jin," Yuuto said calmly causing his wife to freeze.

"Ah. It was two years ago wasn't it? With the exams and the move I completely forgot," the bright eyed woman admitted. "So she's dreaming about it again? Do you think it will go away on its own?"

"Mmm, perhaps. I think it's because she and Takumi were promoted and she agrees it could be that. Either way, you know Kotone will be okay! She's a strong girl."

"Yes, but Jin was practically her first love, Yuuto. She'll never forget him no matter how many years pass."

"F-first love?! I thought he was a brother figure!"

Hotaru laughed loudly at Yuuto's naive behavior. He had never imagined the boy as a potential love for their daughter, but Hotaru had silently hoped it would never happen. Unfortunately, fate intervened before anything could happen. Jin was a kind boy, but the very thing that prevented him from continuing on as a shinobi was also what broke Kotone's heart and plagued her to this day.

"Well, Kotone might've grown out of it as she got older. There are a lot of suitable boys in this village though, so don't go scaring them off!"

"Aren't you the more frightening one, my love?" Yuuto kissed his wife's hand with a sly grin. Hotaru raised an eyebrow at the comment, knowing well and good that the stronger of their relationship was him. He simply hid behind his pacifistic nature making him seem easily approachable, but he was terrifying in battle.

"Ehhh? I didn't think I'd interrupt something when I came to eat breakfast, but lo and behold!" Kotone chimed from the doorway.

"Kotone! Feeling better?" Yuuto turned back into the loving father-figure, a rapid change that always made Hotaru chuckle.

"Yup! Just like you said, it was probably because of the promotion Takumi and I got! I'm sure I'll be able to forget about the dream by tonight!"

"Good! The past is no place to dwell for long periods of time."

"You say that like it's nice for short visits," Hotaru set the food on the table.

"It is nice for short visits! Happy memories should be touched upon every once in a while, especially in darker times. But memories that cause regret or pain should be let go of."

"Oh! That's pretty deep Papa," Kotone said as she grabbed her plate and started to eat. Hotaru nodded next to her, a grin growing across her cheeks.

The breakfast was mostly silent until Kotone stood up to leave.

"Takumi and I have a mission to the Land of Tea today. We should be back in two days!"

"Just the two of you? Not Kaori?" Hotaru asked as she lifted up her plate to start cleaning.

Kotone shook her head with a sad sigh, "We're fetching a missive regarding recent activity on their borders. It's ranked for chunin or above, so Kaori can't go."

"Ah, I guess with the village still recovering they'd need her to either train or go on missions of her level. I shouldn't have to say this, but be careful!"

"Okay!" Kotone shouted from her doorway before she met up with Takumi. The mission shouldn't be too difficult.

Kotone flinched as Takumi tried to dab ointment over the cut on her side. They had been ambushed on their way back to Konoha, but the fighting didn't last long with Takumi's quick thinking and Kotone's reflexes. She did managed to get clipped by a kunai when it was thrown randomly through Takumi's smoke bomb. Takumi had cuts and scrapes as well, but Kotone's was deeper and merited more concern.

"Just hold still! I'm almost done," Takumi scolded as she flinched from his touch again.

Kotone hissed as he prodded her side just a little too rough, "Maybe if you'd stop stabbing at it, I could relax!"

The two glared at each other before Takumi aggressively wiped a streak of ointment across the injury and slapped the bandage over the wound. Kotone was left gasping in response, but faster was better than his previous approach.

"It should only be a little while before we're back and you can have Tsunade-sama look at it. To think they'd wait to attack us until we were so close to Konoha. Still, the person that hired them should get his money back."

"Mmm. I wonder if they took the job because they sided with his views or if they just needed the money?"

"Probably the money. I recognized one of them. He grew up near my house, if you could call it that," Takumi scoffed at the memory of his old house.

Kotone frowned and bopped him on the head lightly, "Hey! That place was your home because your mom was there! So what if it wasn't the best house in Ame. It was more homey than most. Your mother would've hit you a lot harder for insulting the home she pays for."

Takumi chuckled at the thought of his mother's cold glares and silent anger when he'd disobey her or talk about a better life. She had worked her entire life to earn money for that house after Takumi's father had abandoned her when he learned she was pregnant. She was an old fashioned woman, but she endured everything that came her way. Kotone respected his mother despite the way she was treated in that house.

"Well, looks like the bandages are holding well. We should start to head back," Takumi said while standing.

Kotone nodded and stood up, wincing at the pain from her side though Takumi's ointment worked fast on pain. "Takumi, have you had any dreams...?"

"Dreams?"

"I had a dream about Jin the other night," Kotone confessed. She knew Takumi would understand on a more personal level than her parent's did.

"Well the anniversary passed while we were taking the Exams so it's not like we had time to really think about it. And we were promoted to Chunin so it could be stress drawing out the dreams," Takumi responded rationally, but Kotone noticed he hadn't answered her question.

"You've had one too?"

Takumi stared ahead blankly before he nodded. "I had one when we moved to Konoha and one after we were promoted. We've come a long ways, but there are still some things we can't leave behind so easily."

"I'm just glad I'm not the only one. I wonder what he'd say about our promotions?"

"Before or after he finished laughing at the fact we'd have to run missions together as leaders? He'd probably pity our squads because we bicker."

Kotone laughed and nodded in agreement. There was a fondness in Takumi's eyes she hadn't seen in a long time. "He'd be proud of you, Takumi. You've really progressed, you know?"

"Oh? Just me?"

"Well, Jin was always happy with me so long as I was safe."

Takumi shook his head in disagreement, "You never noticed, but Jin hated how much you held back. All because the others at the academy didn't like that you had natural talent. Even now you hold back! You could've won our match in a second if you really used your full arsenal."

"Ah. I don't think I have the best of control over my 'full potential' as you claim. I only just got a good grasp over lightning. You want me to throw other releases into the mix? We'd all be in trouble then!"

Takumi chuckled. "I'm just saying that Jin knew how much you held back after the academy and that you were training with Toko-sensei when the rest of us were asleep. Even I'll admit that, while I think your brain could use a little more training, you're by all accounts a genius when it comes to jutsu. You just never allow yourself to be as good as you could be."

"Well don't worry! Next time we spar I'll be sure to unleash my full fury at you. I'm sure it'll be good practice to have a moving target!"

Takumi flinched knowing full well what Kotone was capable of. Her jokes aside she didn't get the practice she needed to fully master her talents, but if Toko-sensei were to focus train her again she could be a strong asset to Konoha. Jin had always been ahead of the both of them, but he was a pacifist. He didn't like fighting in general, but he had an unnatural gift for chakra control and ninjutsu. Kotone was never far behind him, her talent having been harnessed by her parents at a young age.

The brown haired boy smiled softly as he realized he was finally able to recognize Kotone's strength without feeling inferior.

His smile faltered when a searing pain started to spread from one of his cuts. He bit down the gasp of pain as Kotone remained unaware at his side. His brow furrowed as the pain spread well beyond the boundary of the cut. "We should..." Takumi took a breath to steady himself, "hurry to Konoha. Lady Tsunade will be wanting..."

"Takumi?" Kotone turned at the struggle her teammate was clearly having. Her eyes widened when she saw the sweat beading on his forehead as he strained to move forward. "What happened?!"

Takumi stopped forcing himself to walk when Kotone's hands braced against his shoulders. He collapsed forward against his teammate who held his weight with little struggle.

"It would appear that I've been poisoned. What luck that I would be hit with the poisoned kunai!"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Kotone took his continued humor as a good sign. If he could joke, he could survive.

"If you were poisoned, I could try to treat it on the way. You, however, aren't exactly capable of treating me. Unless you're training to be a medic in secret?"

Kotone shook her head and looked back toward Konoha. They still had a few hours, maybe 2 if she sprinted, but Takumi was struggling.

"Kotone. Listen to me. If we get back to Lady Tsunade fast enough, she can treat me. This poison is slow acting and it's not spreading very fast now. If we hurry, we'll make it," Takumi tried to push away from Kotone to move, but he cried out in pain at the first step.

"You can't move on your own, Takumi," the white haired girl realized what she'd have to do.

"You can't carry me with that wound on your side. You'll reopen it and I can't put more ointment on it like this."

"That's the type of talk I expect from you, Captain. Always refusing to give your subordinate credit!" Kotone teased as she carefully spun around to lift Takumi onto her back. The boy couldn't refuse his teammate's efforts, but he tried to hold his weight up while her clung to her shoulders. If he fully collapsed onto her back it'd be too heavy for her to move fast enough.

Kotone felt her wound sting at the shifting pressure, but she could bear it. She took a deep breath before darting forward. They had to make it back in time. _"I won't lose Takumi too!"_ Kotone's mind declared as she pushed forward.

Takumi let out a weak chuckle at Kotone's terrifying speed. "So this is what it's like?"

Kotone raised an eyebrow at his question, "What?"

"Moving this fast. I've never been about speed as much as you have, but this is nice. The breeze feels good."

"Just let me know if you're going to be sick! I don't want vomit in my hair," Kotone grinned, though she felt fear creeping up through her stomach. The sickly appearance that had claimed her teammate was all too familiar to her.

"I should be fine for a while, Kotone. It's just making moving harder for me. Tsunade-sama can deal with this easily."

"It's a comfort having her in the village," the young girl admitted.

Takumi nodded against her shoulder before he realized something, "Ah. Kotone, you're birthday is coming up isn't it?"

"Don't tell me you forgot!" Kotone replied with mock hurt in her voice. Anything to keep him awake.

The brunette boy chuckled and sighed dramatically. "How could I forget such a momentous occasion as the birth of Ueno Kotone! Sorry, was that too big a word for you? Momentous?"

Kotone resisted the urge to smack him. She was glad he was relaxed enough to joke around despite the situation. Their talking died down until Kotone stopped at the sight of the village. Takumi chuckled and pat his teammate's shoulder in appreciation, "Well, it looks like your speed has its uses."

"Weren't you the one who calculated we'd make it in time if I ran fast?"

"Yeah, but with me on your back I expected you trip or do something else stupid."

Kotone shifted Takumi to alleviate some pressure on her side while she scoffed. "I could still fall between here and the gate. Don't doubt my poor luck."

Takumi laughed lightly as Kotone resumed her running, though at a slower pace. The white haired girl knew her teammate would be fine now, but her shoulders remained tense from her previous fears. Takumi had looked so pale and sick, but if he had held out this long he could make it. Tsunade would save him easily.

When they reached the gate one of the guards offered to take Takumi to the hospital. Given that Kotone was exhausted from their nonstop traveling and had carried her taller teammate a long distance, she accepted the offer and made her way to the hospital at a slower pace.

"Kotone?!" Ino's voice called out from behind. Kotone turned to look at the blonde girl who was accompanied by Sakura. Despite their fighting and rivalry, it was clear the two were still close friends.

"Kotone, you're injured?" Sakura asked as she spotted the bandage under the rip in Kotone's black dress. The white fabric of the bandage had a small red blot on it, though Kotone still felt no pain thanks to Takumi's ointment.

Kotone nodded and lightly pat the wound, "I got hit by a kunai on my last mission. Takumi treated it and put this bandage on it, but he was poisoned. I'm going to the hospital to get stitched up and see how he's doing."

"Takumi was poisoned? You seem rather calm about it," Ino raised a brow at the behavior of the older girl.

"Well, I can't do anything when it comes to medical ninjutsu. I carried him back here as fast as I could, but that's the limit of my ability. He was also joking like his regular self before a guard took him to the hospital. It's wrong to say I'm not worried. I'm just not showing it right now. Wait until we enter the building, then I'll start to panic."

Ino and Sakura nodded with limited understanding. With the distance and the last reassuring thought, Kotone was okay with Takumi's condition. The second she entered the medical building, however, his injury would become very real again. It was a strange way of coping, but the young girls had their own fears that seemed to increase as they closed in on the hospital.

"Ah. Why are you two headed to the hospital anyways?" Kotone finally broke the heavy silence that had enveloped them during the walk.

Sakura glanced to Ino, avoiding Kotone's curious stare. The blonde sighed before explaining, "Shikamaru, Choji, Naruto, Kiba, and Neji all got hurt on a mission. Choji was in really bad shape when they brought him back so I'm going to visit him. Naruto is probably hurt to knowing how reckless he is."

The light prodding at Naruto's character seemed to go ignored by Sakura, a detail that didn't skip Kotone's keen eyes. Something was going on.

"That's quite the team arrangement. And for all of them to get injured, some seriously. I have to wonder what the mission was," Kotone resisted asking any further as she gauged Sakura's growing discomfort with the subject. "Well, let's hope they all recover quickly!"

The two girls nodded in agreement and smiled at Kotone weakly. When they entered the hospital, Kotone left the pair to get treated first. It was then that she was met with Shizune who was placing a patient's file at the counter.

"Kotone! Lady Tsunade just started to treat Takumi, but he mentioned you were injured. I was going to find you if you didn't show up soon," Shizune explained as she eyed the young woman for injuries. She found her target and peeled away some of the bandage to see the cut. "Well it looks like you're in a better spot than Takumi. Come on, we'll go to a room so you can undress."

Kotone followed, eased that Tsunade herself was actually taking care of her teammate. He'd be just fine in her hands.

Shizune waited patiently as Kotone removed her jacked and dress, leaving her in the mock-neck cropped fishnet top that she wore under her dress with the matching shorts. There was a solid black band across her breasts, as well a boy-short style black band on the shorts. That way if she ever had to strip down she was still mostly decent. She stepped out and sat on the exam table as Shizune charged her hand with healing chakra before placing it against the wound that remained clean thanks to Takumi's ointment.

"This should heal easily," Shizune nearly sighed in relief. Kotone smiled at her before realizing that the Hokage's attendant had probably healed the team Ino had talked about.

"I ran into Ino and Sakura on my way here," Kotone gently touch the topic, though even the grazing appeared to startle Shizune. Olive eyes watched the woman as she sucked in breath before explaining.

"Sasuke Uchiha has left the village. We sent a team lead by Shikamaru to retrieve him, hoping that Naruto could talk him down or force him if need be. But they met resistance from some Otogakure shinobi. Neji and Choji were critically wounded, but I just finished the treatment on Neji before I bumped into you. Lady Tsunade finished treating Choji shortly before that. Kiba and Naruto have serious injuries as well, but they will be just fine. Shikamaru only suffered a broken finger."

Kotone remained silent for a minute as she considered the skill level of the enemies they had to have fought. "So they didn't get Sasuke back?"

Shizune shook her head. "Naruto was found unconscious. Sasuke let him live, but he still left the village."

"I see. And here Takumi and I thought we had it rough getting ambushed on a relatively easy mission. That explains the heavy atmosphere that was around Sakura."

Shizune nodded and moved her hand to examine the now sealed wound. Despite that fact it was deeper than any of Takumi's injuries, Kotone's wound wouldn't need any further treatment. Shizune narrowed her eyes at the injury in surprise.

"Do you always heal quickly, Kotone?"

"Only when Takumi applies ones of his many medical treatments. Along with his thorough knowledge of poisons and traps, Takumi is also well versed in medical theory. He tests out his ointments on Kaori and I when we get injured on missions. Usually they work just fine, but he's messed up a few mixes as well. I had a rash on my back for a week because of his testing." Kotone chuckled as she reminisced.

"Really? Your wound was deep enough to merit stitches. If Takumi is making ointments that can help heal someone quickly then –"

"Ah! Don't misunderstand; Takumi's ointments don't increase the body's natural ability to heal. They numb the pain and will stop the bleeding, sure, but they won't close the wound. It's when healing chakra is applied or something... I'll be honest, I zoned out after that when my mom was explaining it."

Shizune smiled at Kotone's explanation, though she wasn't surprised that Kotone understood the theory behind Takumi's invention. It was clear in the report about the Chunin Exams that Kotone understood Takumi's inventions well and was able to adapt to them if need be. The two were close friends and had endured a lot together.

"Alright. I don't know if Lady Tsunade is done healing him, but I can take you to his room. You're worried about him, right?" Shizune asked in response to Kotone's curious stare.

Kotone's snowy hair shifted as she nodded. Her braid had come loose due to how she carried Takumi. As they walked down the halls Kotone picked her hair-tie from the collapsing braid. She recieved some looks considering her state of undress, but her dress had dried blood and a large gash in it. She had at least put her jacket back on to help cover her chest more.

"I'll go in to check on him, if you'll wait out here," Shizune pointed to the seats across from the door before entering the room with a light above the door.

Kotone sighed when she was left alone. She brought her knees up to her chin as she pictured Takumi's paling face. Her sage eyes squeezed shut as she tried to ignore the mental images and the memories they stirred.

"There you are!" Hotaru's voice reached Kotone's ears. The young girl was surprised at her mother's sudden presence.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

The dark haired woman sighed and ran a hand through her bangs. "I was running errands when one of the guards stopped me to explain how he had carried a very sick Takumi to the hospital. He also said you appeared injured and tired, but it wasn't serious. A nurse told me where Takumi was being treated, but they didn't have any room number for you."

"Shizune healed me up quickly so I didn't really need one," Kotone gestured to the still pink mark on her side. It wouldn't scar, but for a few days the mark would faintly remain.

Hotaru examined it and smiled knowing Takumi had to have applied the medical cream to it for it to heal so quickly with medical treatment. "How is he doing?"

"I don't know yet. Shizune only just went in before you showed up. Did you tell dad?"

Hotaru took in a sharp breath and glanced away from her daughter, her amber eyes darkening. "You're father is... preoccupied. A very unexpected guest showed up and they started to argue so I left them to it."

"A guest?"

"I'll explain on the way home. For now, let's focus on Takumi, ne?"

Kotone nodded and sighed wistfully as her mother gently combed out the tangles in her hair. She was grateful for the distraction.

AN: Here it is. So I'm planning on getting an actual schedule for my chapter releases soon, but with the holidays coming up and I'm moving soon, it's a little busy. I'm so sorry it's been such a long time since I updated, I just lose track of time so easily between work and apartment hunting and job hunting. I'm moving to different state in the next month or two so it's been a little chaotic trying to find stuff without being there, but now I've got some stuff set so it should ease up! Hope you all enjoyed!

Reviews are appreciated! It's been a while so if anything seems odd or disjointed, let me know! I want to fix it!


	13. Confidence

When Rain Falls: Chapter 13 – Confidence

Disclaimer: Everything, other than my own characters, belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Kotone rested her head against her mother's shoulder as the minutes ticked by. Her eyes drooped, but she refused to close them out of fear that she'd doze off and miss something important regarding Takumi's health. Hotaru continued her gentle tracing of abstract patterns across Kotone's back as they waited for any news.

The door opened and Shizune emerged with a sigh. Kotone straightened up and was about to fire off her questions of concern before Shizune smiled at her and nodded.

"He'll be okay. He just needs to rest now. That was quite the poison, but Lady Tsunade was able to figure out an antidote," Shizune explained.

Kotone felt her legs give out as she fell to her knees in relief, "That's great!"

Hotaru smiled lightly at her daughter's clear concern for her teammate, but in the corner of her mind was the thought of what awaited them at home. "Kotone, we should head home so you can clean up and change. Takumi won't be ready for guests for a while, I'm assuming?"

"That's right. He's going to be knocked out for the night I imagine," Shizune nodded in agreement, catching Hotaru's strange mood. "Is everything alright, Lady Ueno?"

"Lady Ueno? Shizune, I don't think I deserve to be called so formally. It's just Hotaru from now on, and I'm just thinking of the cleanup awaiting me at home. Yuuto has a guest over that tends to leave a mess in her wake."

Shizune chuckled at the description and left to check on the other patients. Hotaru pat her daughter's head in a gentle gesture before they turned to leave the hospital.

"Hmmm, Yuuto probably isn't done fighting with our guest yet. Are you hungry?"

Kotone raised an eyebrow at the idea of her docile dad arguing and fighting with anyone, but her stomach growling interrupted her curiosity. Hotaru's orange eyes lit up and she let out a hearty laugh. Kotone wasn't used to seeing the gentler side of her mother, but she appreciated it when part of her continued to think about Takumi's recovery.

"Where should we eat? I'm a little disappointed to admit that your father and I haven't gone out much since we got here. With the shop and then the repairs to the village there just wasn't much time."

"There's Ichiraku Ramen or the BBQ place that Shikamaru's team is always at."

"Shikamaru? Wasn't he the other boy that passed to Chunin?"

"Yeah, his team is always nice to Kaori and I! They made us feel pretty welcome," Kotone recalled what Shizune had said about Shikamaru's mission. Her eyes found the ground as she walked, trying to think if there was something she could do for the injured boys.

Hotaru noticed the change in daughter and she sighed. She spotted Ichiraku Ramen was just down the street and she guided her there where they sat and ordered their food immediately.

"The guest at the house is your father's younger sister," she started to explain, "Her name is Chie."

Kotone looked at her mother in surprise. She wasn't aware she had any relatives on her dad's side of the family since he was an exile among the Ueno clan.

"She came because she wants to meet you and see what you're capable of. Yuuto, however, doesn't get along with her very well since he left the clan. She thinks he abandoned his family when they needed him, whereas he thinks that the clan is wrong in many of their actions and beliefs."

"What do you think about Chie?"

"I only met her when she came to Amegakure shortly after you were born. She's very direct, but I have to respect her. She's truly a strong kunoichi," Hotaru smiled at the owner of the ramen shop when he set their bowls in front of them.

Kotone blew on her first chopstick-full before slurping down the noodles. She let out a happy breath as the food eased her empty stomach.

"So is there a reason I haven't met her yet?"

Hotaru smiled coyly, "You'll have to ask your father that one."

Kotone narrowed her eyes at her mother, but she understood why she was being told all of this. She was being distracted from her worries. She smiled softly and continued to eat her ramen.

Hotaru finished first and sighed wistfully as she put her chin in her hands.

"That was quite the sigh," the owner chuckled from behind the bar.

"Sometimes you have to let out all your stress and worries in one go," Hotaru explained with a smile.

The owner laughed and nodded, "Sometimes you do!"

Hotaru stared at her daughter as she finished up her bowl. A rush of nostalgia blew past her as she recalled the first time Hotaru ate soup and how she'd come home from the academy in Ame sniffling because of her classmates. Yet she'd always put a smile on before she'd enter the house. Hotaru's eyes warmed as she knew that Kotone could weather the storm coming her way.

"Mama?" Kotone tilted her head with curiosity dancing in her eyes. Her sage eyes widened when Hotaru reached across the small spaced between them to brush her bangs aside; a gesture Kotone hadn't seen in a few years. Usually her mother was so up front and aggressive toward her to make sure she never slacked off in her training. Occasionally Hotaru would ambush Kotone to ensure her reflexes were fast enough. So this gentle behavior, while Kotone appreciated it, she felt there was something else behind all the gestures.

"Let's see if your father's done arguing with his sister. Thank you for the meal," Hotaru bowed to the owner and left money on the table before her and Kotone walked home in silence.

They entered through the shop only to hear Yuuto's booming voice up the stairs. The shouted stopped when a muffled female voice, Kotone assumed to be her mysterious Aunt Chie, shushed Yuuto.

Hotaru sighed and glanced to Kotone, "Why don't you go take a bath and clean up for bed. I'll see what's going on."

Kotone nodded blankly and walked with her mother until they reached the kitchen door where her mother waited until she was at the bathroom door to open. Kotone took a moment to watch carefully as the kitchen door opened, allowing her a brief glimpse of Chie; her hair was cut to a short pixie length with choppy bang just over her brow, her eyes were a darker shade of green than Kotone's, but the shape was nearly the same. Kotone jumped slightly when in the brief moment she made eye contact with Chie. The older woman narrowing her gaze at her niece when she realized she was looking.

Hotaru shut the door behind her swiftly and Kotone entered the bathroom where she leaned against the door for a minute. Her aunt's presence was entirely different from her parents'. There was a hardness in her stare that her father didn't have, at least not when he was interacting with anyone she'd met. Kotone assumed when he was arguing with his sister that maybe he did have a hard look in his gaze, or even back when he was an active shinobi. Still, she'd never seen such an expression aimed her way before.

Once Kotone entered the warm water she let out a sigh similar to her mother's at the ramen shop.

"This is nice."

As she relaxed into the silence, she could hear the hushed voices barely breaching the walls of the house. They were too soft to make out anything of value, but Kotone could tell her father wasn't done arguing. Whatever his past with Chie and the rest of the Ueno clan was, he wasn't pleased about her showing up so suddenly.

"What happened with those two? They're family, but they sure don't act like it," Kotone mumbled into the water.

Her white hair was afloat around her and she only kept half of her head above the water. She blew bubbles as she tried to work through all of the emotions the day had brought. The frustration in her own hesitation when the ambush hit them, the fear when Takumi realized he was poisoned, the memories of Jin. Everything pointed back to her own resistance to combating at her full potential.

"_I know I could do more, it's just..." _Kotone struggled with her thoughts, _"I'm afraid."_

Kotone stood upon as the thought flashed through her mind. She stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself before she heard her father's voice ring through the house.

"I told you it's out of the question! She's not going with you!"

Kotone opened the bathroom door just a crack as she peaked toward the kitchen.

"Could you stop acting like a child, Yuuto? It's as much her decision as it is yours!" The unfamiliar voice of her aunt started to get louder.

"Like Hell it is!"

"Yuuto!" Hotaru scolded, "She deserves a say in this!"

"_Are they talking about me?"_ Kotone wondered as she stepped out of the bathroom to go grab her change of clothes.

"Hotaru, don't tell me you agree to this! It drove my brother insane! Do you want that for her?! For Kotone?!"

"Yuuto, Keiji went crazy because of more than the training. You know how much pressure he was under and when Dad died he couldn't handle the grief. That's what drove him insane; he was suddenly the leader of the clan and hadn't mastered the jutsu yet so many of the elders thought he wasn't good enough. They set him up for failure and you know it. Or you would if you hadn't left a week after the funeral."

"That's not fair, Chie. I was never an important member of the clan and the way the continuously tried to say they were better than everyone else and that the world was wrong, it just wasn't what I wanted for my life."

Kotone could hear Chie sigh in response before she closed her bedroom door to change. Her brows furrowed as she struggled to understand that her father was hiding something from her. Her mother's cryptic behavior regarding the relative told Kotone that even her mother knew what was going on. At least she tried to tell her something, but it wasn't her relatives. She likely refrained from confessing everything because it wasn't her decision to make.

She pulled her black shorts and a loose cropped top on before she turned to the door, her hair still damp. The sage tone boiled as she tried to calm herself, but she wanted to know the truth about her aunt's presence.

Yuuto turned tired eyes to the kitchen door when it opened, surprised that his daughter invaded the space that had become the neutral ground for discussion.

"Kotone? What are you doing in here?" Yuuto stood up and moved to intercept her, but she quickly darted under his arms to get a full look at her aunt.

The woman was taller than she was with a focused stare on her. Her darker eyes lacked the surprise and exhaustion that her brother's had. Kotone stared at her hard before taking a breath.

"Why are you here? Don't lie to me," she demanded.

Chie cracked a small smirk as a brow lifted in amusement, "Well it's clear who she takes after, Yuuto."

"Kotone! You shouldn't be in here right now –" Yuuto tried to interrupt, but Kotone shot him a harsh stare that silenced him. He had never seen his daughter so angry, let alone towards him. He sighed and nodded to Chie.

The woman acknowledged her brother's permission before she focused on Kotone again, "I'm here to train you, if you want it."

"I already have a sensei. Why would I want your training?"

"Toko has done a marvelous job with you so far, I'll give her that credit. Your speed and chakra control are much more advanced than they typically would be. Though I owe that in part to your parents for starting you out early. But you have the potential to really use the Ueno bloodline limit. I saw the Chunin Exams and I recognized the signs."

"What is the real bloodline limit?"

Chie let out a frustrated puff of air as she glanced back to Yuuto, "If only you hadn't hidden this from her, Yuuto. The phase of the bloodline you're using is something all Ueno members have. We can focus on something and magnify our eyesight on it. However, the next phase allows us to stop time."

Kotone blinked in confusion while Chie let out a chuckle.

"At least that's what the elders would tell you. While focusing on a target with your right eye, you release your chakra through that eye to accelerate yourself while simultaneously freezing your opponent. Anyone watching can't comprehend the speed at which you're moving so to them it looks like a simple body flicker or speed move. The difference is that because you halt your opponent, it can't be countered. Imagine the fastest opponent in the world and beating them in combat because you stop them while speeding yourself up to an unrecognizable speed," Chie explained simply, though the last part had Kotone picture Rock Lee.

"It's an immediate knockout move," Kotone realized.

"Yes and no," Chie's expression turned dark, "the release of chakra has to be so precise that if you make a single mistake you could end up expelling all of your chakra at once, killing your in a slow painful way. It's best used as an opening move, like you said, or saving it as a counter or finisher. Now imagine getting caught by your opponent only to use this jutsu to escape and end the battle instantly."

Kotone could now understand why her father didn't want her to learn this technique. Her aunt's face was telling her that many people she knew had died to this technique because of simple errors. A name came to mind that she couldn't resist asking about, "Who was Keiji?"

Yuuto and Chie shared a surprised expression though Chie's was far more muted than her brother's. Yuuto ran his right hand through his long hair before folding them on his lap, "Keiji was our older brother. Both of them had the gene to use the full kekke genkai and with Keiji being the eldest he was also set to become the clan leader after our father. Keiji never could handle stress very well, but the training for the jutsu didn't help matters. He didn't have talent for the precise chakra control needed and his instructors realized he might never be able to actually use the jutsu despite having the genetics on his side."

Chie had her eyes shut as she recalled their training together despite the 5 year difference in their ages. She took a deep breath before continuing for Yuuto, "He didn't take the news so well. He always said how he planned to change the clan, to make them more accessible to the great villages and to reconnect with all the scattered Ueno members that decided to live apart from the main clan. All of those plans were shot down by his own weakness when it was decided that I'd be the next clan leader."

Yuuto nodded and looked to Kotone, "I wasn't eligible since I didn't even have the capacity to learn the advanced jutsu. I mastered the first phase and trained my fighting skills with the rest of the normal clan members. But our father fell ill when I was seventeen, Keiji was nineteen, and Chie was only fourteen. She was too young to become the clan leader, but she had the strongest potential with the advanced training. Keiji was distraught at our father's illness and begged him to let him lead until Chie was old enough otherwise the clan, and everything he dreamed of, would fall apart. Our father refused, stating the old ways must be protected. He believed in the old ways until the day he died."

Chie took over the rest of the story, "After his death the elders of the village decided they would share responsibility until I was of age, but Keiji changed after our father died. Something twisted in him when he was denied the chance to fulfill his dreams, even for a short while, but the real blow was our father's death itself. He went from being a happy individual to an angry one. Everything irritated him and he pushed himself to learn the jutsu even harder. Within the week of our father passing away, Keiji killed himself by messing up the jutsu while trying to fight Yuuto. Yuuto decided he was going to leave the clan and explore the world to understand how the rest of the world worked, something the elders didn't mind since he swore to protect the secrets of the clan. But it was the final straw for Keiji."

Kotone shot her gaze to her father who was clenching his fists on his lap in frustration. The guilt he felt over his brother's death was obvious.

"No one blames you, Yuuto," Chie finally stated. "Everyone back home knows Keiji was unstable at that point. He attacked you with the intent to kill you, but it cost him his own life. I think the reason father never allowed him the chance to lead was because he knew Keiji had a darkness in him. Father would be happy that you got to explore the world for yourself and make a family."

Yuuto let out a gentle, but bitter laugh at the thought. "He wanted to live long enough to see grandchildren. It's a shame he never got to."

Kotone shared a gentle look with her father as he danced between emotions. He finally closed his eyes and nodded, "Kotone, I think you should train with Chie."

"Eh? Really?" Kotone was surprised at her father's quick change of heart.

"If Chie says you have the ability it means you're already using it in a small degree. If you were to stumble upon it later and misuse it, you could end up dying from the lack of knowledge. I can't change the fact that you inherited the true bloodline limit, but Chie can train you to master it. She was just a year younger than you when she learned it. I'd rather you learn it safely from Chie, even if that means you have to travel for a few years –"

"What? Travel? I can't train it here in the village?" Kotone's eyes were wide and her parents recognized the fear in her voice. She would have to leave her friends behind.

Chie stepped forward to explain, "Over the last few years I've realized what was the wrong with how I was trained. In order to properly train you we have to go to each land for a while and train in the different climates and terrains so that you're ready for all situations. It also helps that you won't have any friends to distract you in the meantime."

"But I just became a chunin and Takumi is in the hospital! I can't just leave now!"

"I can allow you time to say your goodbyes and pack your things, if that helps. It is ultimately your choice to come, but if you choose to stay here you might have stop using the kekke genkai altogether to keep from accidentally activated the second phase."

Yuuto nodded in agreement with Chie, "You do have the option to stay, but I think you'd do well to go. It's a chance for you to really train your skills. Though we should talk to the Hokage before deciding anything officially."

Hotaru pat Kotone's shoulder in comfort, "See? Lady Tsunade might not even let you go. But if you get away from your team, you might notice just how much you're holding back because of them."

"Takumi said something similar," Kotone mumbled earning laughter from her mother. "I'll consider it in the morning."

Yuuto, Hotaru, and Chie watche as Kotone walked down the hall to her bedroom. She needed time to consider the whole situation, but her emotions were shot from all the events of the day. She wanted to talk to someone about it, particularly Takumi, but he was unavailable. The next person that came to her mind surprised her, but she knew he had his own stress to deal with.

She flopped onto her bed and let out a loud sigh, trying to release all of the negative energy in one go.

"That didn't work," she whispered to herself. To leave the village for a few years of training. Training that could kill her if she messed up. Kotone rolled onto her side in frustration and confusion, but she also recognized the value of the technique. If she had that jutsu today Takumi might not have gotten poisoned or maybe Kaori wouldn't have shattered her arm in the Chunin Exams.

She closed her eyes as her mind continued to battle out the pros and cons of the jutsu and the training.

Kotone opened her eyes to the invasive sunlight rolling through her window. She turned away from the window and stared at her door. The house was silent, most likely because her parents and aunt were meeting with the Hokage before the day began and she became busy. Her snowy hair fell down her back as she sat up and moved her feet to the floor.

She opened her closet and pulled out casual clothes rather than her spare combat attire. She pulled on the black leggings and the loose fit dark fuchsia t-shirt that was long enough to cover her butt and hung off her right shoulder. It had been her mother's shirt until Kotone took it from her closet, thus the dramatic difference in fit.

"I'm going to check on Takumi, that's it. I won't bother him with this," Kotone reminded herself as she pulled on her boots before heading out to the village.

The trip to the hospital made her stomach curl and flip as the nerves started to get to her. She was undecided and it made her feel worse than it should. She barely noticed she had reached the hospital when she almost bumped into Hinata who was on her way out the door from checking on Neji, no doubt.

"Oh! I'm s-sorry, Kotone-chan," Hinata bowed her head politely.

"No, it's my fault. I'm a little distracted today," Kotone admitted with a smile. "How's Neji doing?"

"Neji-nii-san will be o-okay. He just n-needs to rest," Hinata made it through her sentence with little trouble, but the nervous stutter still made Kotone giggle.

Her olive eyes drifted away from Hinata as she glanced around the rather empty building. Kotone was glad no one was around, but the emptiness of the waiting area made her feel lonely. Anytime she got sick or injured in Ame Takumi and Kaori were always there, along with Toko-sensei and her parents.

"Kotone-chan?" Hinata gently brought her back to her senses.

"I must really be out of it today! I'm here to visit Takumi, he was knocked out for the night after treatment yesterday," Kotone explained as she took a few steps into the building. Hinata nodded as she also resumed her walk towards the doors only to be stopped when Kotone asked a question.

"Hinata, if you could become stronger, but you had to leave your family and friends for a few years to train, and potentially never see them again..." Hinata turned her head quickly at the surprising start to the question. Kotone swallowed her fear and finished, "Would you risk it to be able to protect them? To become strong enough to protect yourself?"

Hinata thought on the question for a moment before nodding, "I want to be able to follow m-my ninja way. If I could become that strong, I would think it'd be worth the risks."

Kotone turned away from Hinata with a gentle smile and a nod, "That's what I thought. Thank you, Hinata. I think some of my confusion is better settled knowing what you'd do."

"R-really? B-but you're much stronger than me already –" Hinata started to lose confidence and her stutter came out in full force, but Kotone cut her off with a chuckle.

"I hold back because I'm afraid to hurt people. You fought your relative with full force to prove yourself, but I have never fought anyone seriously out of fear that I'll hurt them. Takumi got hurt because of that on our last mission. I have the opportunity to change that, but I was afraid of committing either way. To say I didn't want to get stronger because of my first fear would be acting like a coward. But to commit to training away from everyone I know and love scared me as well. I'm quite the coward aren't I?" Kotone let out a giggle, her back still turned on Hinata.

The pearl eyed girl smiled at Kotone and bowed to her, and action Kotone caught through the shadows on the floor.

"I wish you luck, Kotone-chan."

"Thank you, Hinata," Kotone waved behind her as she walked to the sign in sheet to visit Takumi. Once she was signed in she steeled her resolve as she approached his door. He was sitting in bed with a book in front of his face and his food tray on his lap.

"Not fond of breakfast?" Kotone teased normally.

Takumi dropped the book to the table beside him and scowled at the food, "This isn't food. It's tasteless and smells terrible."

"Right, I forgot Chef Takumi is so judgmental. How are you feeling?"

Takumi shifted in the bed and looked to Kotone, "I feel alright after the Hokage's treatment. Her medical skills are amazing, I have to admit. Nothing like my own mixes and treatments, but she did a checkup just before you came in and asked me about what I used on your wound. Seems like you sold my medicinal salves rather well to Shizune-sama."

"Well she noticed how effective they were when healing chakra was applied."

"So you do listen from time to time," Takumi pointed out before chuckling.

"If you get the chance you could learn a lot from Lady Tsunade and Shizune, Takumi. Toko-sensei will train you as best she can in combat, but you've always been our team's nurse. Why not learn some handy jutsu while you're at it?"

Takumi nodded in agreement, "I'm considering it. The Hokage offered the opportunity since it'd be faster if I could apply both the salves and the immediate medical treatment. Plus it'd give me a chance to improve the salves by learning medical ninjutsu. I just don't know what to do about Kaori. She's going to have more of Toko-sensei's focus if I do that."

Kotone sighed and looked to the window, "She might have all of her focus. My father's sister wants to take me on a training pilgrimage. I'd be gone for a few years and the training is so difficult I might die."

Takumi froze at the very short rendition of Kotone's option. He raised a brow and blink in confusion.

"Apparently there's another phase on my kekke genkai, but without precise chakra control I could expel all of my chakra at once. There's a risk this could happen while I'm training."

Takumi let out a humming noise before shaking his head, "You have the best chakra control I've seen. Not that that's saying much, but even Toko-sensei says your chakra control is well above our age group. I think your risk is lessened with that in mind."

"Takumi, I'd be gone a few years still. I don't want to leave you and Kaori behind –"

"Kotone," Takumi interrupted her doubts, "you held yourself back even when Jin was a part of our team. You can't let fear rule your life. Kaori and I will still train here so it's not like we'll completely fall behind. If this training will help you not only master your bloodline, but also help you overcome your fear of fighting, then I say you only have one choice."

Kotone smiled softly as she watched a breeze ruffle the tree leaves outside. "I know. No matter what I'll regret some part of either option, but the one with the least regrets is to take the chance. I didn't know how I'd feel today when I learned of all of this last night, and it's still a little cloudy in my head. But I know that I should take this chance. I just don't want to leave you guys."

Takumi chuckled and flicked Kotone's forehead, a gesture that Jin used to do to both of them. "Kotone, Kaori and I will just be here training our hardest to match up with you. We've got a long ways ahead of us, all of us. But we won't just be sitting here moping over your absence. You think Toko-sensei would allow that? She'll see it as an opportunity to focus on Kaori more while I train with the Hokage. Don't worry about us. Worry about when you come back and we're promoted higher than chunin!"

Kotone laughed with Takumi before they both settled into relaxation over knowing their paths. They'd all grow apart for a while, but their team had a bond that wouldn't be broken so easily. All Kotone had to do was make sure she embraced the training and didn't fail. If she could do that, she could see them all again in a few years.

"Alright, well I should see if my family is back from the Hokage's office. They went to get formal permission in case I chose to go," Kotone declared as she stood up.

"Are you going to tell Kaori?"

"Mmmm. I'm going to make sure I can go before I try to tell her. I know she'll put on that brave smile even though she'll want to cry."

"That's true. Then she'll come to me in tears. Thanks for that," Takumi teased.

Kotone stuck out her tongue before she left the room. She could feel her chest tighten with her own emotions. Even though she felt relaxed overall, the tension was waiting for her; the immediate regret that comes with change, but soothes itself after a little while. Her fists clenched as she took a deep breath, relaxing her hands with the exhale.

The trip home was made short by her running. She had to know if it was going to happen, if the permission was there. Then she'd have to tell Toko-sensei and Kaori before packing her bag. It was all spiraling out quickly, but this was part of the shinobi's life. Kotone knew that when she said she wanted to become one as a child. The day she picked up training with her parents she realized she was afraid of hurting anyone, especially loved ones, but they reminded her that she could either protect people or become the protected one. Someone that always allows their friends to defend them, to get hurt in their place. The thought made her cry as a child; she didn't want to chose between the two then either.

But this time would be different. She could make a change that would help her overcome her fear. She hard protected Kaori, but now was the time to expand her abilities so that she could defend all of her new friends and acquaintances. She wouldn't be the reason a mission failed because she refused to throw a kunai or knock out or kill an enemy. Kotone didn't want to become the weak link, so she would train to become the strongest link in her team.

She opened the door and ran to the kitchen where her family waited.

"So?" Kotone panted the word. "What did she say?"

Hotaru smiled at the determination that was pouring from her daughter. Her decision was made and she wanted it. It wasn't a hesitant choice, she had considered both options fully to realize which was best for her.

Yuuto sighed and smiled at his daughter as well. "She says you can go, but only if you send letters detailing your progress. You'll have to use the Ueno sigil-stamp to seal the letters and Chie has to sign each letter in order to confirm your progress. But this way you can communicate anything to us and if needed, we'll be able to reply. Though Chie requests that we don't unless absolutely necessary."

"It'd be pointless to take her on a pilgrimage if her friends and family were sending her letters everyday," Chie explained calmly. She looked at Kotone and her eyes warmed at the strength in her stance. It wasn't an easy choice to decide to embark on this type of journey, especially knowing there was a chance she wouldn't return. As a kid, Chie had no choice. She was forced into the lessons and she embraced them, but for Kotone to choose this path made her feel happy for her niece. She wanted to improve. She wanted to become stronger with help.

"I want to go, but I have to tell my sensei and Kaori first. I already talked to Takumi," Kotone demanded with a firm stance.

Chie chuckled and nodded, "I already said I would allow you time to tell your friends goodbye. Is there anyone else you want to see before you go?"

Kotone paused and thought to Asuma's team and how she should have checked on Choji while she was at the hospital, then to Naruto as well, but she shook her head. "I've made friends in Konoha, but I'll be back in a few years. I'll let Takumi and Kaori explain my absence to them."

Yuuto and Hotaru were surprised at her enthusiasm as well as her confidence in returning, but they knew she needed to be confident in her return. If she wasn't, she would never survive the training ahead of her.

Kaori and Toko were preparing to visit Takumi in the hospital when Kotone entered the apartment.

"Kotone-chan!" Kaori greeted with a hug. "We're going to visit Takumi-san, do you want to come with us?"

Toko could read Kotone's hesitation instantly. "I think she has something to tell us, Kaori. Well, Kotone?"

Kotone took a breath before nodding. "I'm going to be leaving for a while to train with my aunt Chie. She's Papa's sister and she believes I can improve my bloodline limit under her guidance. It may take a few years, but I'll be back! I promise!"

Toko glanced to Kaori who was struggling to process the information with a smile on her face. She looked back to her older student. "You believe your aunt can train you better than I can?"

"I'm not entirely sure about Chie's skill level, other than the fact that my mother said she was powerful. But Chie is of the Ueno clan and she knows how to nurture my kekke genkai. There's a second, stronger phase that without her training I can't use. In order to become a stronger kunoichi I think I should take the chance. I don't mean to disrespect you, Toko-sensei."

Toko shook her head, her bangs sweeping her forehead. "I'm not offended. You've got the opportunity to train with someone who can harness your specific skill-set in more ways than I can. This also allows me a chance to focus on Takumi and Kaori's specific talents. I think it's a smart decision. How about you, Kaori? Anything to say regarding her choice?"

Kaori's eyes were watering at the thought of Kotone leaving for a while, but she bit her bottom lip and violently nodded her head in an effort to hide how upset she was. "You should do what's best for you, Kotone-chan!"

Toko rolled her eyes as the display before cracking a subtle smile at Kotone. The light haired girl grinned and pulled her friend into a hug, stroking her back with a gentle touch.

"I'll be back before you know it, Kaori. I just want you to promise that you'll train hard while I'm gone. Someone has to protect Takumi!"

Kaori let out a laugh before she pulled away and wiped her eyes. She beamed at Kotone as the older girl turned to leave.

"Alright," Kotone said, mostly to herself, as she reached for the door handle. "No turning back now."

"That's right," Toko agreed, "You've got a long journey ahead of you. But I believe in you, Kotone."

Kotone's eyes widened at the encouragement of her sensei. The words felt foreign in Kotone's ears, but she could hear the truth in Toko's voice. A small smile graced her lips before she left the apartment without another word.

Her trip home was quick and Chie was waiting outside the door to her parent's store as customers entered and left. She kept her eyes closed as her new student darted inside to pack her things. Kotone's parents, busy attending to customers, smiled when Kotone ran past them.

"She's quite energetic," a male shinobi commented.

"She's about to start special training," Hotaru explained as she wrapped the newly purchased katana in paper before binding it with a string.

"Oh? I wish her luck!" The man bid farewell. Hotaru shared a look with her husband as all the other customers were focused on looking at the products for a moment.

Kotone grabbed her drawstring bag and loaded it with spare clothing and training supplies before she changed into her usual attire. She paused when her team photos caught her eyes as she pulled on her jacket. Her gaze softened as she looked from the photo of her, Takumi, and Jin to the one with Kaori. Not too much changed from one to the other aside from her and Takumi growing in height.

With a content sigh Kotone grabbed her bag and walked to the storefront. Her parents each gave her a hug before letting her head outside.

"I still don't quite trust Chie with her," Yuuto admitted as he watched Chie pat Kotone's shoulder through the window before the two walked out of sight.

"Oh? Yet you're letting Kotone go with her rather easily," Hotaru teased, her orange eyes bright with hope.

Yuuto chuckled before admitting, "Chie has never been good with children. She won't know what to do with Kotone at times, I fear. She'll push her hard and won't know when to back off until Kotone snaps."

Hotaru giggled at her husband's worries. "Kotone is a little older than child now. She's still young, sure, but she's not like she was when we started to train her before the academy. They'll both have a lot to learn from each other, but I think they'll be fine."

Yuuto shrugged before moving to help a customer with a custom order. Hotaru continued to tease her husband about how much he'd miss Kotone.

"Are you ready, Kotone?" Chie asked when they reached the gate. She'd allow her new pupil one last chance to back out. After this, there was no turning back.

Kotone smiled at her aunt before taking the first steps of their journey. "Where are we heading first anyways?"

Chie followed and hummed as she considered the best starting point. Given what she knew about her niece she wanted to take her out of her element right away; make it so she had to adjust her entire fighting style. The perfect thought came to mind as she thought of how she used wires.

"Suna," Chie watched Kotone for her reaction. She felt smug about her choice when Kotone visibly paled at the thought.

"R-really?" Kotone tried to keep positive.

"You need to learn to adapt. Suna will force you to adapt. You're not thinking of turning back now are you?" Her dark green eyes danced as she poked fun at her niece. She saw the similarities between Kotone and Yuuto when he was the same age and couldn't help but tease her.

"No! I'm going to do this dammit!" Kotone said with unbridled enthusiasm, though Chie was almost certain she was trying to convince herself as well.

"Good. I don't have time for uncertainty. From this moment on, I'm your sensei, not your aunt. It's going to be difficult and you might end up hating me as the days go on. But hold onto that enthusiasm and you'll make it through this just fine," Chie said with the last smile Kotone would see for a few months.

* * *

AN: Thank you for waiting so long for this chapter! I tried to make it longer so that there was more to enjoy. Obviously this is right before the Shippuden time-skip and I wanted to clarify how the ages will work when Kotone returns: She is leaving about 3 months before Naruto does (Based on the manga, Sakura trained with Tsunade for 3 months before Naruto left) so when she comes back she'll be 18. It'll be 2 years and 9 months for her return so it's highly likely her 18th birthday would've just happened. Takumi is a few months older than Kotone so he is certainly 18, with Kaori being 15.  
Kotone's birth month: March

Takumi's birth month: December (the year before Kotone)

Kaori's birth month: September

Just so you can kind of keep it straight. I'm assuming Naruto leaves at the end of summer, though it's not like we really see variety of weather in the series other than winter in The Last. (~2.5 years from September would be March, so a spring return thus the nice weather). Whereas Kotone would leave sometime in June based on this assumption. This also means Kaori turns 13 around when Naruto leaves so by the time he comes back she's 15 going on 16.

I know this isn't quite the most important information, but I wanted to make sure it was all straightened out before I move onto the time-skip.

I also drew Kotone for after the time-skip that way you all can see what I imagined for her. It's on DeviantArt; the username is TheAwkwardMoogle137. There's a portrait drawing and a full body one, they're labeled Naruto OC and Naruto OC 2.


	14. A Change in the Wind

When Rain Falls

Ch 14 – Change in the Wind

Disclaimer: All of the Naruto Universe belongs to Kishimoto; I only own my own characters.

A bird chirped as the morning sun lifted high enough to cast light on the trees. The chill of morning air hung about, but would dissipate soon enough. Two women with white hair maintained a steady walking pace as the sun rose.

"It's been nearly three years, ne, Sensei?" the younger of the two asked, her sage eyes glancing about the treeline.

A small nod was caught by her peripheral vision before the older woman replied, "Three long years of training the most irritating of students."

"H-hey! I think I did a great job."

"You did. But you complained nearly the entire time."

"That's because you're a sadist," the sentence came out as a mumble, but it earned a glare from her traveling companion.

The older of the two women sighed as the main gate came into view. "Looks like we're nearly there. What are you going to do first?"

"First? I figured I had to accompany you to the Hokage's office to report the success of my training. Then, well... I should say 'hi' to my parents."

"You didn't think about what you'd do when we got back, did you?"

A gentle laugh came from the younger woman, "To be honest? I didn't really plan my return. Just in case something happened while we were away. You know?"

"Ah. You didn't want to be too hopeful. But I recall you planning to return when you decided to take on the training. What changed your mind?"

"The training was hard; I'm sure that was part of it. I guess the main reason would be that small incident a little over a year ago. I barely made it out of that, and had it not been for you I wouldn't be here. It made me respect the training more, so I pushed myself harder. I wanted to make it home, don't get me wrong, but I stopped using that as a timer. 'Only two more years' or something like that made me lose focus on what the training was for."

Darker green eyes narrowed curiously as they focused on the younger woman, "And what was it for?"

"To protect all the people at home!" The brighter colored eyes glowed with enthusiasm as they reached the gate. The guards, familiar with the younger of the two white haired women smiled in greeting before checking their passports.

"Welcome back, Kotone-chan," One of the guards waved as the two women entered the village.

"Thank you!" Kotone waved back with a happy smile before turning to her aunt who simply stared with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

Chie shook her head in amusement. "You seem popular even though you've been gone three years. I didn't think you were leaving behind a trail of broken hearts, especially not with how you were three years ago..."

"Sensei! He was a proctor during the Chunin Exams! He probably just remembered what I looked like. I wasn't interested in those types of things back then anyways."

"Oh? And now you are?" Chie's eyes glowed with a dark enjoyment at her niece's expense. The last three years had little time for them to bond like this. She had only started to get closer to her niece as the training reached its end. The trip back to Konoha had been most informative for Chie.

Kotone blushed a deep shade of crimson as she tried to find a retort toward her aunt, but when she was unable to she simply kept her mouth shut.

Chie let out a rare chuckle as her niece fussed over admitting to wanting to date and how she was already 18. She had to admit, Kotone had really grown over the last three years, and not just as a kunoichi. Her figure and face matured, as did some of her behaviors, and there was a sort of relaxing air around her. Even when she was at her worst, complaining or struggling to accomplish her training, she gave an air of comfort. It was as if she would take care of you no matter what she was going through.

Kotone stretched her arms above her head, her tied sleeves shifting up just slightly. Her long, thick braid swayed with her steps. Her style had changed quite a bit over the years, though that was due to the constant change of climate and environment. She had to find the attire that would afford her the comfort and ease of movement she needed while also being able to resist rain, snow, or heat.

Now she tied her bangs back in a separate ponytail that would rest just past the top of her head while still maintaining her loose braid; though in training she'd sometimes go with a low ponytail instead if she were running late.

Chie still rolled her eyes at Kotone's complaints about her damaged clothing over the years and that she owed her niece a large sum of money in repayment.

The pair came to a halt when they heard loud shouting from a woman and the pained cries of two men. Kotone's smile grew as she trotted ahead in excitement over what awaited around the corner.

"S-Sakura-chan... Why did you hit me too?" Naruto bemoaned weakly. Sakura's anger still poured off of her body as Kotone came into view, instantly changing the pinkette's mood.

"Kotone?!" Sakura's voice heightened with surprise.

"It is! Kotone-chan!" Naruto flung himself towards Kotone in an eager hug only to be snatched at the collar by Sakura.

Kotone chuckled at the behavior and, sensing Chie had caught up behind her, opted to introduce her friends to her sensei, "Naruto. Sakura. This is Chie Ueno. She's the sensei I was training with for three years."

"Ueno? Then that means you're related?" Sakura asked curiously as she stared at the woman who was a mirror image of Kotone other than her darker eyes and much shorter hair. Some of her facial features were aged as well, but she was still young looking.

Chie nodded before shifting her gaze to the pale boy rubbing his cheek as he dusted himself off with his free hand. "I'm her aunt. And you are?"

"Ah, sorry Sensei. I don't recognize this one, but wow! To think, people call me pale," Kotone examined the mystery boy with a close eye. As his expression shifted to a polite smile, the two Ueno women instantly felt discomfort.

"My name is Sai. Nice to meet you," Sai paused to examine the women before him. He could recognize that Chie was powerful as well as older than he was, so there was little reason to bestow a nickname on her. Kotone, on the other hand, was still older than him, but was also a friend to Naruto and Sakura. However, Sakura didn't react so well to his nickname for her. His first instinct was to go with her attire, mainly the fishnet cutouts in her pants inspiring an aspect of lewdness, but Sai couldn't imagine that going over well with any of the women present.

"Did I break him?" Kotone broke the silence of the elongated pause.

Naruto chuckled nervously. "He's just trying to think of how to address you, Kotone-chan."

"Oh? Like a nickname? I've never really been one for nicknames or formality. You can just call me Kotone if you want, Sai."

Sai was surprised Kotone opted to forgo all the formalities and just used his name without being prompted. He nodded in agreement, glad he didn't follow his first instinct to call her a slut or whore because of her tight attire and cutouts.

"Kotone-chan, did you just get back?" Naruto eagerly changed the conversation direction.

The snowy haired woman nodded with a proud smile, "I mastered my eye jutsu with my aunt's help. Right, Sensei?"

Chie stared blankly at her niece before sighing. "Mastered is a more generous word than I would've used, but yes. You've completed your training. Rather quickly if I were to compare you to most of my past students. However, I still hold the fastest record."

"Still, I managed to come back in one piece!" Kotone teased.

"We should spar soon, Kotone-chan! I want to show you my new moves!" Naruto proudly delcared.

"Oh? Do you think you'll win?" Kotone replied coyly. Naruto's lips curled into a toothy grin as he held up his hand in his signature "thumbs up" sign.

"Ah. Well we should get dinner soon now that you're back! We're on our way to see Kakashi-sensei, otherwise we could grab food now," Sakura had to practically drag Naruto away from Kotone before he could really get into his improvements over the last few years.

Still, Kotone waves and shouted to the trio as they left, "When we get some food, it's my treat! Then maybe we'll spar, Naruto!" Kotone's offer was well received by Sakura and Naruto.

The trio set off toward the hospital while Kotone and Chie resumed their path to the Hokage's Tower. Kotone's mood seemed to improve even more upon seeing two familiar faces so soon. The rest of their trip was quiet until they stood before Lady Tsunade who was smiling at their return.

"You made it back, Kotone. I'm assuming this means good news about your training?"

Chie nodded and addressed the matter, "Her training is complete. The only thing she can do now is improve her control even more with daily practice and missions. I don't think there's anymore risk of her dying to the jutsu, though, so don't hold back."

"Kotone, when you left you were already bumped up to Chunin. Based on the reports we've received, you're technically on par with Jounin level shinobi. Everything about your chakra control, your bloodline limit, as well as your practice with ninjutsu and taijutsu tells me you're ready for another promotion. If you want, we can schedule a test for you. It'd simply be a one-on-one duel with someone of Jounin or higher skill level, but it's up to you. I need to see your skills for myself before I take any action."

Shizune felt the need to explain given Kotone's shocked expression, "This is an extremely generous offer, Kotone. Usually you don't get offered this opportunity in such a direct manner. However, due to the risk of Akatsuki and tensions with Otogakure, you're being given a chance. Takumi is also being considered, if that helps you with your decision. And Neji Hyuga was promoted to one a while ago."

Kotone nodded as the information processed. She knew she had gained a lot of control over her chakra, more than she had before and now she could use it for a larger array of abilities thanks to her training. Three years dedicated to rapid improvement at risk of life and injury forced her to take a more aggressive stance in battle.

"If it means I can help protect the village and my friends, then I will take this test," her voice didn't waver, but instead rang with confidence.

"Well then, we'll have to plan for that in the next few days. But before that, I think you should recover and see your parents." Tsunade smiled at the young woman.

Kotone nodded with a bright smile before she was allowed to leave. Chie was required to stay for a more thorough report and offered to drop by Kotone's parent's house afterwards.

Kotone hummed as she slowly passed through the village, the overwhelming feeling of relaxation was finally winning over. She paused in front of her parent's shop and took a deep breath before opening the door.

"Welcome to –" Yuuto started to greet her as he lifted his gaze from a part he was working on, but upon seeing the mostly familiar young woman he froze. "Kotone!"

The sound of a weapon clashing with the floor interrupted Yuuto's attempt to hug her. Hotaru stared at Kotone in surprise, hopping over the dropped weapon to pull her daughter into a tight embrace.

"Welcome home!" Hotaru greeted with pride before she tugged Yuuto into the embrace as well.

"Kotone?!" Takumi's voice broke the awkward silence that had enveloped the room as all the customers tried to pretend as though there wasn't a reunion occurring.

Kotone's parents stepped aside allowing her to see her oldest friend and teammate. As her green eyes scanned his taller frame, Kotone couldn't help but notice the difference three years had made. Takumi was still of a thinner build, but the muscles of his chest were just noticeable underneath his fastened shirt. He had grown a large amount from the last time she had seen him, he was now a head taller than her with his long dark brown hair tied taught in a high ponytail, the tail of which reached past his shoulders. He wore a pair of rectangular glasses, strikingly similar to a pair her father wore when he was working, over his hazel eyes.

"It's about time you got back," Takumi teased with a grin. He crossed the floor and extended his arms to greet her properly. Kotone accepted the hug, but punched his shoulder as he pulled away.

"Hey, I just completed an extensive training program and that's the first thing you say? Looks like you haven't changed as much as I thought."

Takumi chuckled and shook his head. "Have you seen Toko-sensei or Kaori yet? They'll be upset if they find out you came to visit me first."

"I came to see my parents first, you just happened to be here. Why is that, by the way?" Kotone eyed Takumi as he awkwardly cleared his throat. Her gaze whipped back to her parents who looked equally as embarrassed over something. "What?"

"Let's go discuss this upstairs, Kotone," Hotaru steered her daughter toward the stairs, practically shoving her all the way to the kitchen. Yuuto chuckled as he watched his wife and daughter disappear upstairs with Takumi. Someone had to stay to watch the shop, so he'd miss the fun.

Kotone eyed her friend and mother with suspicion as she sat at the table. Her fingers drummed against the wood in a slow rhythm.

"This better not be as bad as it seems," Kotone mumbled; perhaps she had relaxed too soon.

Hotaru sighed as she set some cups of tea on the table. "Don't worry so much, Kotone. It's just something that your father and I have been meaning to tell you in a letter for a while now."

Takumi removed the glasses and rubbed his eyes before speaking, "I'm living here now. In your old room."

Kotone's eyes widened and she looked to her mother for confirmation. Hotaru nodded and tapped at her cup of tea much like how her daughter had tapped the table.

"Takumi is first and foremost an apprentice to Tsunade-sama for healing, but he also apprentices under Yuuto. Because of his training times and missions, he was having issues making it here to study without exhausting himself or running out of time. Since your room was unoccupied, we decided to let him live here. Unfortunately, the difficult part of this is that Toko and Kaori live in a smaller apartment now to save money."

Kotone caught on and nodded, "Well given the circumstances, I wouldn't expect you guys to kick out Takumi out of the blue. It would've been nice to know ahead of time, but I'm sure I can find a place to stay. I've gotten used to living on my own over the last three years, given that Chie-sensei often got herself a different room."

"Why'd she do that?" Takumi raised a brow in curiosity.

"She'd test how heavily I was sleeping by sneaking into my room somehow. If I caught her, I passed. If I kept sleeping, however, my training the next day was doubled."

Hotaru let out a loud laugh at the imagery. But the story gave her more relief than worry. If Chie pushed Kotone that hard than it meant she taught her everything she could and she still made it through it all.

"But I guess I should start looking today since I have nowhere else to stay! Luckily I saved up some money from all the jobs we did during my training so I should be able to afford something small. What a homecoming," Kotone relaxed into her chair. Takumi stared at her with his brows somewhat furrowed as if he was confused.

"Call me skeptical, but wouldn't you normally be a little more outspoken about this?" Takumi tentatively phrased his question.

Kotone laughed and shook her head, "A few years ago, yeah. But that behavior didn't quite last long through Chie-sensei's training. Don't you worry though, Takumi, I've still got the same sense of humor I've always had!"

Takumi groaned and shook his head in distaste, though the small grin on his face betrayed the joy he felt having his teammate home. He glanced to Hotaru who, though she acted calm, was overjoyed with her daughter's return. There had been a number of days over the years when he had witnessed both her parents pause and glance behind them at the sound of the door opening and closing only to be surprised by Toko-sensei and Kaori. They had all waited anxiously for news about Kotone and her pilgrimage.

Now that she had returned, Takumi found himself at a loss for words. Three years was both a short period of time as well as a long one. He had no clue what Kotone was like anymore due to the nature of her training. Something so harsh was likely to change her, though to what extent he wasn't sure. She seemed similar enough, though, and that was fine by him.

"Kotone, you should visit Toko and Kaori before your hunt for an apartment starts, don't you think?" Hotaru sipped her tea slowly. She didn't want to rush her daughter, but the air hung with so many questions no one was ready to ask; they all just wanted to bask in the sensations that came with reuniting.

Kotone smiled with a nod, "That's a good idea! Ahhh, I wonder how much little Kaori has grown! Or has Toko-sensei finally found a man? It'll be fun to see them again!"

Hotaru and Takumi laughed with Kotone as she listed other possible scenarios that she had considered over her years away. It wasn't until Yuuto came up the stairs for lunch that Kotone realized how long she had been home.

"Ah, I should probably go see Kaori and Toko-sensei! I'll be back later for my stuff if I find a place!"

"If you don't find anywhere to stay tonight, you can always use the extra futon," Yuuto watched as Kotone put her dishes away, a new habit he noticed immediately.

"That dusty old thing? Have you even cleaned it off over the last three years?" Kotone raised and eyebrow and put a hand on her hip.

Yuuto coughed and turned his head while Hotaru outright laughed at her husband. The dark haired woman pat his shoulder and turned to Kotone, "If you don't find somewhere to stay, we'll buy a new one. Business has been rather good over the last few years, we can afford to replenish our guest supplies."

"Thanks Mom! Do you mind if Takumi shows me where the others live now?"

Takumi stood up and walked to the door, "It won't take long. They live frustratingly close by now."

"Bye Mom! Dad!" Kotone waved as she followed Takumi's hurried steps down to the storefront and out the door.

"So, you're wearing some rather interesting clothing these days," Takumi shot her a side glance.

Kotone sighed before replying, "I am wearing tactical clothing suited for my fighting style."

"Prosti-" Before Takumi could finish the word Kotone slapped his shoulder, the force causing him to stumble forward. He stumbled just past a corner while Kotone lingered behind with a chuckle.

"Takumi? Getting hit by the girls again?" a young woman's voice reached Kotone's ears. It was only slightly different, just a touch more mature than it used to be, but she could recognize it.

"Oh? Are girls hitting on Takumi these days?" Kotone peeked around the corner. She barely had time to brace herself before Kaori tackled her to the ground.

"Kotone-chan!" Kaori tightened her vice grip on her teammate which caused Kotone discomfort.

"Kaori, can't breath!" Kotone choked out before Kaori released her.

"Sorry! Sorry! Toko-sensei has been having me train up my strength and I was just so excited! You're home! Oh, we should get Sensei! She's just inside!"

Kaori practically dragged Kotone up to the apartment she shared with their teacher. They burst through the door and found Toko sitting at the table reading a book.

"Eh? Kotone?" Toko blinked at her teammate before smirking, "What are you wearing?"

Kotone blushed before slamming her hand on the table, "Oi! I've been gone for three years! Can't you greet me a little nicer?"

"Remember, you opted to train with someone else for three years," Toko's smirk was deadly as her eyes shifted to her student.

The sharp stare she was receiving made Kotone sigh and back off with a grin, "Well at least you haven't changed! How have you all been? I hear Takumi is training with the Hokage?"

"I study under Tsunade-sama for medical jutsu training and then your father for weaponsmithing. Then I attend regular training days with Toko-sensei and Kaori," Takumi leaned against a wall while rubbing his now sore shoulder.

Kaori nodded, "I mostly train with Toko-sensei, but occasionally Lady Tsunade would let me sit in on her sessions with Sakura. Since my fighting style is similar to hers, it seemed like a natural fit, but Toko-sensei is the one who has really helped me improve! Right Sensei?"

Toko shrugged, "The Hokage has a lot to teach. I think you both owe her more than just your thanks. How about you, Kotone? How were the last three years?"

Kotone smiled and leaned her hip into the edge of the table. "It wasn't easy, I'll assure you there. Three years spent hopping from inn to inn, sometimes sleeping outdoors if we were too far from a town, the different climates that we constantly hopped between. But I know that me being here means I made it through it all. As rough as it was, I survived and improved. I'm excited to have a stable place to call home again, though."

Toko nodded, noticing the maturity that danced through her student's eyes as she reminisced.

"Takumi has taken over your room. Where will you be staying?" Toko closed her book and set it on the table.

"Well, I have to spend the rest of today asking around about apartments to rent. I saved up enough to rent a small place. Though it was a surprise, I'm at least a little prepared for it. It'll be strange though. I only just got home and I've already been evicted!"

Takumi chuckled, "Sorry, Kotone. I just couldn't live with these two anymore."

Kaori stuck out her tongue to Takumi but smiled brightly at Kotone, "You can always stay here if you need to! We've got an extra futon we could pull into my room!"

"I think it's a good thing. You can start building your future the day you move out," Toko voiced casually. "It's a rite of passage and you've hit that age. Takumi's move doesn't quite count since he lives with people that feed him."

Takumi's head dropped at the description, but he couldn't deny it. Even though he had moved far from his own mother when they became citizens of Konoha, he was always with another adult that became responsible for him. Whereas Kotone was going to be on her own after this.

"Ah, Toko-sensei, do you know where I should go to find places for rent? I should really get started on the hunt for an apartment. Especially since the Hokage wants to set up a trial to see if I'm ready to be promoted to Jonin."

Toko and Takumi shared a glance at that statement before the dark haired teacher spoke up. "I can direct you to the leasing buildings of a few apartment complexes if you want."

Kotone stood with a nod and waved goodbye to Kaori and Takumi before following her previous teacher down the street. The walk was strangely silent to Kotone. She had expected Toko-sensei to ask questions about her training and about Chie-sensei, but it almost felt like she didn't want to know anything about it.

"So, a promotion?" Toko finally broke the silence. "You think you're up for it?"

Kotone nodded, "I know that being a Jonin will require me to fight enemies and it will put me in situations that require patience and careful thinking, but I think I'm in a better mind to handle that type of scenario now than I was a few years ago. I've trained so hard to be capable of defending the people important to me and I intend to follow through on my training."

Toko nodded and glanced at her student carefully. It was obvious the girl walked with a straighter stance, though it was more rigid than when she was younger. The last three years had done something to Kotone, that much was clear. But what, exactly, was unclear to Toko. She knew it was an improvement, but there had been a cost that weighed on Kotone's shoulders.

"Toko-sensei, are you finished eyeballing me?" Kotone asked suddenly with a slight grin. Toko's eyes widened a fraction as her student hadn't turned or shifted her gaze to see what she was doing. Her perception skills had clearly been improved upon.

"I'm curious how you'll do in your promotion exam. It'll likely be a one-on-one battle against a Jonin. Though who they select can impact how you'll do."

"Yeah, but Chie-sensei covered adaptability rather extensively. Not that I'll feeling cocky or anything, it's just that it wouldn't be a test if it was easy right?" The smile that graced Kotone's face could've told Toko that her ex-student wasn't overly confident, but that she felt prepared. The young student she had always seemed overconfident in her talents and her duty to protect her team, but the young woman next to her was different. It wasn't just the subtle changes, she had really matured into a woman to be proud of.

Toko resisted the soft smile that threatened her otherwise harsh features. She was still bothered by the fact that Kotone had gone off to train with her aunt, and even more so now that she had returned as a seemingly stronger shinobi. It had hurt her when she opted to train with someone else. Granted her aunt had the skills needed to train Kotone to her full potential, it still chaffed Toko that her student was better off with a different teacher. Despite everything their team had gone through, the better sensei had proven to be Chie.

"This is probably the best place for you; it's got good amenities and it's reasonably priced. I'll leave you to it," Toko tried to excuse herself quickly before she let her discomfort with the situation slip. She was proud of her student, but she wanted to see the effort of the last three years for herself. Until then she'd likely remain angry at Chie, and partially at Kotone, for stealing her student away; regardless of how petty it was.

"Toko-sensei?" Kotone called out as her sensei walked off, a small wave the only indication she had been heard. The woman sighed and turned back to the task at hand.

The process of procuring an apartment was easier than she had expected and Toko had led her to not only a good complex, but also one with a few vacancies. How Toko had known of the vacancies, Kotone wasn't sure, but she knew it was intentional that they had only visited one place. Kotone stared at the door to her apartment, number 24, before putting the key into the lock. With a satisfying click the door opened.

"So this is 'home sweet home' huh?" Kotone mumbled to herself as she walked around the simple single bedroom, single bathroom setup. It had a kitchen with a stove and dishwasher, a tall refrigerator, a small table with two seats, and a living area with a couch. She assumed the bedroom and bathroom matched the classic style of the apartment. Classic and cozy.

That was Kotone's initial thought, at least. But once she shut the door behind her the room felt bigger and emptier than she believed. The room hadn't changed, but something inside Kotone had. She dropped onto the couch, lying back against the plush cushions with a long sigh.

"A lot can change in three years, right Chie-sensei? You warned me it'd be different. Strangely the same, but different all at the same time. My mom and dad don't have room for me in their house, my teammates have their own schedules and lives, and my previous sensei is as unsociable as ever," Kotone recalled to herself. She let out a light chuckle as the memory of Naruto and Sakura came to her mind, "At least they're the same. I'm excited to see everyone again, but I don't want to be an outsider."

Kotone's mind drifted to a person she hadn't really thought about during her training. Her eyes widened as his face emerged from her memory. They'd only talked a few times, but now that she had completed the hardest training of her life, she wanted nothing more than to relax and talk to someone. With the surprising lack of comfort she found at home and with her team, it seemed almost natural that her mind dragged the memories to the surface.

"I wonder what Shikamaru is up to these days," Kotone grinned.


End file.
